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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-11-26 Daily Xml
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Fruit Fly

Mr BOYER (Wright) (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries. Did the former executive director of Biosecurity SA, Mr Will Zacharin, ever warn the minister that more time was needed prior to commencing the zero tolerance policy?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (15:02): I thank the member for his question. The zero tolerance approach was an emergency measure. There's no doubt about that. That measure was implemented—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members for Elizabeth, Mawson and Wright! The minister has the call.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: That was implemented as an emergency response to another fruit fly outbreak at Loxton. We had seen a number of detections, a build-up of detections, over a two-year period, and coming into government the alarm bells were ringing. Those detections were increasing and so we acted, and we acted accordingly. An emergency response was to implement a zero tolerance approach to protect our horticulture sector.

If we continue to kick the can down the road as the previous government did, we would continue to have those Queensland fruit fly outbreaks. We would continue to see millions and millions of dollars at taxpayers’ expense to clean up the mess. The zero tolerance approach is seeing less fruit at the borders. We are seeing reduced detections of Queensland fruit fly. The zero tolerance approach is working.

Dr Close interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Deputy leader, cease interjecting.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: If the opposition don't like that it's working, why is it that you don't support our $1.28 billion horticulture industry?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: On this side of the house, we are looking to grow horticulture, we are looking to support our farmers, we are looking to keep South Australia fruit fly free. I am not ashamed to say that—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: —and you can argue all you want. It is working.

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