Ms CARNEY - 2007-10-18
Yesterday, in reply to a question in parliament, you referred to Panama disease as a hiccup for the industry, and you answered:
Minister, that would possibly have been believable, except in the interview you referred to, the following having occurred:
The journalist seemed adamant that your comment was about the future of the industry and not merely research. Do you stand by your assertion that when you said ‘It is probably a little hiccup’, you were talking about the research rather than the future of the industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. Going back to what I said yesterday, it is quite plain to see that the industry is suffering from Panama disease. It is a disease that affects the soil and it is something that will not go away. At the moment, we have three properties that are free of the disease and the rest have been quarantined. I emphasise that over the six years that projects have been undertaken, the decision that was made was made by specialists on the disease brought in from interstate. They made a decision in consultation with local growers, the Banana Association of Australia and interstate primary industry areas, and that decision was to work with species of bananas that would be resistant to the disease. I understand they have undertaken research on 35 varieties. As I said yesterday, there are three varieties that are resistant to the disease. At this stage, they are not in a situation where they can go into commercial quantities. The department is working on that. The research is being undertaken, and it has taken that six years. I am confident that in the not too distant future, there will be some varieties of bananas that will be resistant to the disease that will come up with commercial quantities.
- … I said it was a hiccup and that was in relation to research that has been undertaken.
Minister, that would possibly have been believable, except in the interview you referred to, the following having occurred:
- Journalist: But the Primary Industry minister denies the banana industry is facing collapse.
Minister: It is probably a little hiccup. It is a disease that is very, very hard to control.
The journalist seemed adamant that your comment was about the future of the industry and not merely research. Do you stand by your assertion that when you said ‘It is probably a little hiccup’, you were talking about the research rather than the future of the industry?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. Going back to what I said yesterday, it is quite plain to see that the industry is suffering from Panama disease. It is a disease that affects the soil and it is something that will not go away. At the moment, we have three properties that are free of the disease and the rest have been quarantined. I emphasise that over the six years that projects have been undertaken, the decision that was made was made by specialists on the disease brought in from interstate. They made a decision in consultation with local growers, the Banana Association of Australia and interstate primary industry areas, and that decision was to work with species of bananas that would be resistant to the disease. I understand they have undertaken research on 35 varieties. As I said yesterday, there are three varieties that are resistant to the disease. At this stage, they are not in a situation where they can go into commercial quantities. The department is working on that. The research is being undertaken, and it has taken that six years. I am confident that in the not too distant future, there will be some varieties of bananas that will be resistant to the disease that will come up with commercial quantities.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016