Question Time

Biosecurity Legislation

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation prior to addressing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development about her media release, dated today, Thursday 31 October 2024.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: The minister has today gone out publicly with a lengthy press release titled 'Liberals at odds with agricultural industries', stating that, and I quote:

Despite the pleas of industry groups, the Shadow Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Hon. Nicola Centofanti MLC, is pressing ahead with her ill-thought-out tactic.

This is despite yesterday in this chamber, sitting across from the minister, I said in my second reading speech that, in regard to my contingency motion to send the bill to a select committee, and I quote:

I acknowledge and appreciate the sentiments from industry bodies that they want to see this bill debated on the floor of parliament forthwith, given it has been four years in the making, so I have decided not to move that motion, as I respect the voice of industry bodies who speak on behalf of their members across the state.

So my questions to the minister are:

1. Why is the minister spreading untruths about the opposition in the community?

2. Why wasn't the minister paying attention yesterday in the chamber? If she had been, she would have heard my clear comments about not progressing with a contingency motion for an inquiry.

3. Will she publicly apologise and correct the record?

The Hon. L.A. Henderson: It's a bit embarrassing. Clearly, she is not listening.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:24): I thank the honourable member for her question. It is embarrassing for the Leader of the Opposition because this is a backflip that she has had to do.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: She announced a few weeks ago that she would move this contingency motion that would result in the Biosecurity Bill being delayed potentially for months because of sending off to a committee. What happened that week is Primary Producers SA, the peak industry body for the other industry bodies in this state, wrote a letter to members of this place saying that this was not an appropriate thing to do, that the Biosecurity Bill was important, the Biosecurity Bill needed to progress—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —and the Biosecurity Bill should not be delayed by this sending off to a committee. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition in this place made some comments to indicate that she might not do that. So a couple of weeks ago, she said she will do this—she will send it off to a committee. Yesterday, she said maybe she won't. Had she sent any correspondence to any of the stakeholders who wrote to her?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Did she send any correspondence to say, no, she would not be progressing with this?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Well, in terms of stakeholders that I spoke to today—

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo: So why did you lie in your press release?

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —none of them indicated to me that she had sent them correspondence saying that, no, she would listen to agriculture and she wouldn't pursue. So what sorts of things were the agricultural industries saying? What were they saying? The independent chair of Primary Producers SA, Professor Simon Maddocks, says:

Effective biosecurity arrangements are fundamental to the prosperity and sustainability of our $18.5 billion primary production sector in South Australia.

PPSA's members have been very clear that they do not support any actions that may further delay or frustrate the delivery of the overdue reforms provided by the new Biosecurity Bill.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! I am not sure I heard the interjection, so it won't be recorded, but she will be very careful what she says.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I quote from Mr Nathan Paine, from the Australian Forest Products Association, who talks about the importance of the industry and various outbreaks that are currently being faced:

Following the extensive consultation and engagement, the critical need for a modern biosecurity framework, we cannot afford any further delays and call on the Liberal Opposition to bring this Bill to the floor of Parliament and not push it off for a further, unnecessary inquiry.

It is time to debate this Bill on the floor of Parliament, it is not a time to hold another inquiry.

The President of the Horticulture Coalition said:

Industry has been actively engaged in consultations on the new biosecurity bill for a number of years. It is imperative that we avoid any further delays in passing this legislation.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The question referred to the press release.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The President of Livestock SA said:

Livestock SA has worked constructively with successive governments on the new Biosecurity Act, as modern biosecurity legislation is an important step in the evolution of biosecurity management in South Australia.

It is important that our state's biosecurity legislation and system modernises and aligns with the approach already in place in other jurisdictions to become more responsive to the increasing biosecurity challenges facing the livestock industry.

Then there is this quote from Mr Brad Perry, CEO of Grain Producers SA:

The Biosecurity Bill has been years in the making and after numerous rounds of consultation, it's time to join other Australian states with a consolidated act that ensures that South Australia can best prepare and respond to biosecurity threats and incursions.

So we have Primary Producers SA, we have the Forest Products Association, we have the Horticulture Coalition, we have Livestock SA, we have Grain Producers SA. That is a very remarkable set of commodity groups and industry associations which are all indicating, not just to those opposite but to the crossbenchers here and to the public, that the actions of the Leader of the Opposition in this place have not been in the interests of biosecurity, have not been in the interests of agriculture across our state, have not been in the interests of the people of South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Point of order: the minister misrepresented me when she was talking about today, on record, may or may not be taking the Biosecurity Bill to a parliamentary committee.

The PRESIDENT: I understand that's correct, so minister, you might want to—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, you might want to just correct the record with that. Now, continue and conclude, please.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I am happy to look at what Hansard said specifically yesterday in terms of 'may' or 'will'.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I think the point is, first of all she says she is going to—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Mr Hunter! Sit down, minister. The Hon. Mr Hunter and the Hon. Ms Girolamo, at the very least I need to be able to understand and listen to the minister so, please, I want some silence. The Hon. Ms Bonaros is on her feet.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: A further point of order: to be fair, which we like to be, the Leader of the Opposition did read from the Hansard itself and indicated that she said she will not be taking her committee to a vote.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister, have you concluded your remarks?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Attorney-General and the Hon. Ms Girolamo, if you want to have a discussion go outside.

The Hon. K.J. Maher: I'm scared of her.

The PRESIDENT: And so you should be.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Now please conclude so we can move on.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: We have seen the Leader of the Opposition in this place flip-flopping. Industry needed certainty, they needed to know that this would not be sent off for delay to a parliamentary committee, that biosecurity was far too important for the Leader of the Opposition in this place to be playing petty politics. I think the answer is that those opposite, the Leader of the Opposition, has been embarrassed into backflipping over this, and finally she is listening to agricultural industries across the state that just want the Liberal opposition to let the government get on with doing the job.