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

Many farmers across South Australia have now endured two years of relentless drought. Meanwhile, Premier Peter Malinauskas has splashed cash on major events and photo opportunities otherwise, but regional communities have been crying out for help and they've been ignored. Only now, in the shadows of a state election campaign, is the Malinauskas Labor government taking meaningful action. Don't get me wrong, any support for farmers is welcomed, but the timing of this announcement raises serious questions.

Producers across Barker and, indeed, right across South Australia have been calling for help while conditions have deteriorated. They have watched while low-interest loans that they were calling for were made available to farmers interstate as a matter of course. Droughts don't operate on election cycles. Support should be timely, it should be practical and it should be driven by conditions on the ground, not by political opportunism. The delay matters, because drought assistance works best when it's delivered early, when it keeps farms viable and prevents hardship, not months later when the damage is already done. Farmers deserve support when they need it most, not months later when the damage is deeply cutting. Sadly, all they get from 'party Pete' is interest only when it suits him and the interests of his party. Shame on him!

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