Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes Senator Williams. In the short term the government is again failing industry and business by not fully exploring technologies that work. It does not operate collaboratively with industries to ensure that it provides practical outcomes. The industry is happy to move into new ground and eager to have new technologies streamline their operations and the operation of the industry the world over, but they want the technologies simply to work. They do not currently work.

We held a local industry forum with the number of attendees in the hundreds. All of the people I spoke to at the local industry forum were scathing of Minister Ludwig, questioning why he had dropped the ball on their issues. Like the mining tax and the carbon tax, this government is again providing problems and not a solution to take this country forward. This government is happy to take away our competitive advantage in complete isolation of the world business stage and the world industry stage and to place a burden on this vibrant industry that will prevent them putting back into a community such as Port Lincoln. It just seems somewhat ludicrous.

It is not just the tuna industry that has the issues. When it was known that we were in town, fishers came from everywhere to have their say on where this government was failing to help and in a lot of cases actually hindering their prosperity. It is no wonder that the ministers never venture into the regions where they overlay these legislative burdens; if they did, they would find out how palpable the views on this legislation are.

The prawn industry has its issues. The abalone industry also raised concerns about the ridiculous red tape that is stifling their productivity and preventing them from achieving their true potential. The abalone industry has concerns about its viability—fancy that. This is a very much revered industry with a product which goes all over Asia. It is a high-value item, and they are worried about their viability. In fact, the Abalone Council of Australia met with Safe Work Australia because the workplace safety regulations were developed recently with no consultation with any commercial dive harvest organisation around Australia. That is right, no consultation. Quite reasonably, the Abalone Council appreciates the need for harmonisation of legislation around the country, but it is the height of arrogance not to consult them before implementing these changes. Regulations and legislation need to be workable for an industry to survive. The industry does not want the regulations removed—they want a safe work environment—but they do want to make the legislation workable and practical.

Marine parks were another serious concern for the industry. I have spoken numerous times in this chamber about the impact that both federal and state Labor marine parks regulations are having on both recreational and commercial fishers not only in South Australia but around the country. We on this side of the chamber know about the lack of consultation and unscientific designation of marine parks. The science is being held to account at numerous times by eminent scientists, yet the minister remains mute on any review for both recreational and commercial fishers. The fishers of Australia want more than anyone to ensure that the fishing environment in their region is sustainable, and to suggest otherwise is just mischievous. This is their livelihood or their recreation; it is their passion, and they want it to be there for the generations to come. The marine parks proposal has commercial fishers very concerned that they will be pushed closer to shore and on top of the recreational fishers, which pits fisher against fisher. That is hardly a result that any government would be looking at for an outcome. The fishers that I spoke with believe the government has not given this proper consideration and that the government has come up with a recipe for disaster. The industry was asking me why they have not seen or heard from Minister Ludwig or Minister Burke—again, announce and defend. Australia already imports more than 70 per cent of the seafood we consume. I think Senator Joyce said this morning that it is currently at 72 per cent. Under Labor's plan this will only grow. As recently as last Friday, I went to a supermarket freezer to try to buy some fish for the weekend, and I struggled to find anything that was grown or produced in Australia in that entire freezer compartment. Senator Back, you would know how distressing that would be for anybody who is looking to ensure that they support the Australian fishing industry. When you see a packet stating 'whiting' you would assume, if you were in South Australia, that it would be local whiting. But it said 'Product of Thailand'. That whiting is a bit different from the King George whiting that I have come to expect, know and love from my native South Australia.

While the Gillard Labor government and Ministers Ludwig and Burke have failed to take into consideration the future need for seafood from a sustainable source, with the demand predicted to grow by 850,000 tonnes by 2020, I suggest that they are both paying lip service to this industry. They promote how wonderful and important the industry is—and rightly so—but their actions suggest otherwise. I would like to draw the attention of those opposite to the hypocrisy of their South Australian Labor colleagues when it comes to the fishing industry. Late last year, the South Australian Labor Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Gail Gago, said, 'South Australians are spoilt for home-grown choice.' In the lead-up to Christmas, Minister Gago encouraged South Australians to eat South Australian seafood, including 'a seafood platter gloriously piled with smoked salmon, marinated calamari and octopus, Spencer Gulf King Prawns.' She went on to explain the benefits of sourcing our food from within our state when she said, 'Buying local food and beverages supports our farmers and producers, which in turns helps generate income, create jobs, build our regions and boost the economy.' I agree with that, but if you are going to talk the talk you have to walk the walk. And when you are the minister for agriculture and fisheries you actually have to make the difference and ensure that these things come to hand.

On 11 February this year, the minister claimed that the South Australian government's strategic priority of premium food and wine was one of seven key areas on which the state government was focusing its efforts. And no doubt the federal government's food plan will equally promote Australia's premium food. Then, on 1 March 2013, at one of the state's premier tourism and sporting events, the Clipsal V8 race, guests in the South Australian government's own suite were offered fish. It was Queensland barramundi. There is nothing wrong with Queensland barramundi; however, I know that the aquaculture industry in South Australia is very successful in growing barramundi. I think that, if Minister Gago is going to talk the talk, she should walk the walk. Labor just do not get it. And, just as South Australian Labor are trying to promote South Australian seafood to the world, federal Labor are doing the same with Australian seafood—but they are both so hypocritical about it.