Labor to blame for New Zealand poppies

It’s a shame that one of Tasmania’s premier agriculture businesses has to look offshore rather than expand in Tasmania.

However, this concerning development in Tasmanian’s poppy industry with Tasmanian Alkoloids now trialling a crop in New Zealand is entirely the fault of the Bartlett Labor Government.

In 1998 Labor came to power on the promise to “drought-proof” Tasmania.

It is an indictment on the failures of this Labor Government that 11 years later, Tasmanian Alkaloids has stated they are trialling poppies in New Zealand because they need guarantee of supply in the event of the Tasmanian crop being adversely affected – particularly by drought.

If Labor had delivered on its 11 year old pledge to drought-proof Tasmania as they promised, Tasmanian Alkaloids wouldn’t be growing a single poppy in New Zealand and Tasmania’s multi-million dollar local poppy monopoly wouldn’t be at risk.

After eleven long years of Labor failures and broken promises, Tasmanians deserve better.
Rene Hidding MP Shadow Minister for Primary Industries and Water