Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a shame that the member for Port Adelaide has left the chamber because I want to talk about his very good friend the member for Mawson, Leon Bignell, who is also supposedly the South Australian Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. He has been in that role since 26 March this year. Minister Bignell has now shown himself to be South Australia's first ever minister for no agriculture, minister for no fisheries and minister for no forests. Why would I make these outlandish claims? Firstly, we have a minister in South Australia for agriculture who is campaigning actively against GM foods. He denies that he was attending a protest rally: 'It was not a protest but rather a celebration of the state-wide ban.' He should listen to the Chief Executive at GPSA, Darren Arney. Farmers want that technology.

That deals with agriculture, but what about fisheries? He remains committed to marine parks, despite there being no evidence for their support. This will decimate rock lobster fisheries in particular. Moreover, today there has been a decision to cut 60 jobs from ForestrySA in my home town. It is being sold—a gold medal for spin—with 'no forced redundancies at ForestrySA'. As if we should be thankful for that! My call to the so-called minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry in South Australia is to resign and do it today.

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