Industrial Hemp

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (15:18): Supplementary question: has the minister reviewed the work into industrial hemp done by PIRSA that was commissioned by the Hon. Robert Kerin when he was minister for agriculture in the late 1990s? If he has, is he able to provide those findings to this chamber, maybe during the debate on the bill?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:18): I thank the Hon. David Ridgway for his question. It's great that he is now allowed to ask a question and that his silence is broken in this chamber. It is a fantastic thing, after he was brutally sidelined earlier today by the Christopher Pyne forces in this chamber. They took all the questions off him.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I'm getting there.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: Point of order, Mr President. I know he is performing at the Fringe, but he shouldn't bring that into the chamber and perform here as a Fringe act.

The PRESIDENT: Can the minister get to the question.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I thank the honourable member for the question about the trials that have been previously conducted by PIRSA. He is now on the record as having asked two questions, which will be very good for his deplorable faction of the Liberal Party, which he and Tony Pasin are the leaders of here. Now that he has had two questions, I'm sure that will be most satisfactory.

In relation to the previous trials, I think it was two trial sites, as I understand it, in South Australia, some time ago. One was either on the Eyre Peninsula or Yorke Peninsula and one in the South-East, maybe around the Kybybolite area, as I have been informed. I think, though, that they weren't completely successful trials of those at the time. A number of people have given me reasons as to whether the right strains were used in those trials, or whether it was where people chose to grow it.

I am happy to find out some more information about those trials in the past. In terms of changing the legislation, we are not suggesting that it is going to be a crop that is going to be grown everywhere around South Australia, but to give the opportunity, if it is appropriate and if it is economically viable in those areas. In terms of the previous trials that were undertaken, I am happy to get a bit more information about those for when we have the debate on the bill in the not too distant future.