Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. In recent months, we've seen the devastating agricultural impacts of fruit fly in Tasmania for the first time ever, coming after the Hodgman government slashed Tasmania's biosecurity budget. Doesn't this outbreak simply confirm that the biosecurity failures of this conservative government, and the conservative Hodgman government in Tasmania, are causing real harm to Tasmania's fruit-growing industry and the thousands of jobs in my state that rely on it?

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question, although it's misguided in a lot of its substance. The reality is the Hodgman government have announced $2 million of funding to address the outbreak of fruit fly in Tasmania. They're putting real money on the ground, delivering real things and supporting the agricultural sector in Tasmania. They're working with us, as the federal government, to ensure that we maintain access into those markets that are so important, to give the real returns to those farmers in Tasmania, and to take advantage of the free trade agreements that we've put in place and that you're scared of.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs is warned.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reality is we are making real inroads into delivering on biosecurity—to the extent that, under the agricultural competitiveness white paper, we committed $200 million as a national government to ensure that we live up to our responsibilities. I'm proud to say that the Hodgman Liberal government are also undertaking their responsibilities by implementing a $2 million implementation fund to fight fruit flies. That's real action; that's delivery. That's what real governments do: we don't talk about it; we act on it.