MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE
AND FOOD — PERFORMANCE
464. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to today's reinstatement
of the Animal Welfare and Trespass Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 and the
ongoing calls from those in the agriculture sector for the Minister for
Agriculture and Food to retire following her shocking comments regarding
foot-and-mouth disease.
(1) Does the
lapsing of this bill in such a heightened biosecurity environment show that the
minister has again let her wrong priorities divert her from dealing with the
matters that are important to Western Australian farmers?
(2) Has the
Premier had dealings with any of the farm lobby groups to help repair the
relationship in light of the minister's recent comments on
foot-and-mouth disease?
Mr M.
McGOWAN replied:
(1)–(2) We
held an event last night here at Parliament with CBH. I do not know whether the
Deputy Leader of the Opposition was there, but we held an event with CBH and it
was very happy. In fact, the minister was well received, and I was able to talk
about our great record in agriculture and the fact that we have put $131.5 million
back into the Department of Agriculture and Food because the last Liberal–National
government ripped it out. We were able to
put all that additional resourcing into research within agriculture
because the last government ripped it out. The consequence of that investment
is that we have some of the greatest harvests in history, both now and
predicted into the future. When I met CBH and the farmers last night, they were
incredibly happy with the performance of the government, the minister and all
the actions we have been taking. So that was quite a good event.
I was able to advise them that
members of my family have been out there assisting the agricultural community with the harvest, making sure the
harvest gets to market, gets on the ships and is exported away from Western
Australia, earning valuable income. I have been doing my bit, and my son has
been doing his bit to assist Western Australian farmers, as well.
If we were to apply the same approach
as the Nationals—every single time someone says something that might be regarded as being inappropriate, wrong or
slightly off, they have to resign—none of those opposite would
have a job. They are so loose, so injudicious and so lacking in knowledge about
everything that none of them would have a job.
As for the member for Roe's question a moment ago, the minister
answered it and then the member asked the same question again. Honestly,
if some rule was applied to require members to actually listen to the answer,
it would be an important change to the standing orders as it would ensure some
improvement in the performance of the opposition.
The
minister for agriculture and I have been working cooperatively with the
agriculture sector across our state.