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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
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Strawberry Industry

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:31): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier update the house on the national strawberry contamination issue?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:32): This is not just a very significant issue for our nation but, of course, a looming issue for us in South Australia. Many people would have watched the news last night and seen some very graphic images of the huge waste of produce in other states. Our season in South Australia starts later than in other states. In fact, I was speaking with one very significant grower this morning, and he said that they are only about four weeks off their crop being ready for picking and then, ultimately, going off to the market.

There are two key messages I would convey to the people of South Australia. The first is that we need to back our producers, our growers in South Australia. We have a very significant sector in South Australia. My understanding is that the strawberry industry is worth around $42 million per year at the farm gate, obviously more at the retail level, and is currently employing hundreds of South Australians, so it is a very significant industry. I say to the people of South Australia, 'Show your support for the strawberry growers in our state.'

The second point I would make is that we need to send a very strong message to the people who would like to inflict this fear campaign on the people of our country. Quite frankly, I think we should be doing everything we can to stand up and not capitulate with fear. I am encouraging people to go out and buy a punnet of strawberries today and show that we will not be intimidated because, if we are intimidated and we stop buying strawberries, this sends a message to the people who are trying to intimidate us, 'What are we going to move to next? What is the next produce that we are going to move to?' We cannot capitulate in this situation.

I was very pleased to read only moments ago that the Prime Minister has made a very strong statement on this issue. He has decided that he is going to very substantially increase the penalties for people who are doing the wrong thing in regard to the contamination of food, and increase that maximum penalty from 10 years' gaol to 15 years' gaol. He has put additional inspection services in place to make sure that at a federal level they are doing everything they possibly can. At a state level, of course, the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development has been working very closely with the industry. He has a good working relationship with many sectors across South Australia, in particular strawberry growers, and I want to thank him for his application.

It was interesting that when the Leader of the Opposition was asked on morning radio this morning, 'Are you grandstanding on this issue?' it was, 'Oh, we don't want to have any politics in this.' If I were on the other end of the line, I would have thought, 'Well, pity he didn't actually make that suggestion directly to me rather than doing it through the media.' Nevertheless, he makes a suggestion—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: Nevertheless, he makes a suggestion, not grandstanding, as he does it through the media. We are happy to take any suggestions, but the ones we are listening most to are the people who are going to be affected by this, not the people who are trying to get a media grab out.

We know that the Leader of the Opposition is falling down the rankings. I was looking at the rankings recently, and the member for West Torrens has the highest media grabs for the opposition, then the member for Lee. The Leader of the Opposition comes in third, so he is just scraping into the top three. We haven't heard from the member for Port Adelaide for a very long period of time.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order. I think the Premier has finished.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, he certainly has.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the Leader of the Opposition I remind the following members they are on two warnings: the member for Reynell, the member for Kaurna, the member for Badcoe and the member for West Torrens. The leader has the call.

Mr MALINAUSKAS: My question is to the Premier—unless, of course, we can get some more empathy from the Deputy Premier. Did the government—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I am taking the question from the Leader of the Opposition, especially today, for that commentary. Question time is an opportunity to ask a question, not to provide a speech, and the leader knows that. I have given him exceptional latitude today, and I will not tolerate it. The member for Davenport has the call.

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