Mrs DE-ANNE KELLY —My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Is the minister aware of a statement by the Queensland Premier, Mr Beattie, that the Commonwealth should lift its game and match the Queensland government's level of support to the state's sugar industry? Could the minister inform the House of the true facts of this matter?

Mr VAILE (Trade) —I thank the member for Dawson for her question. I am aware of comments that the Premier of Queensland has made. As I indicated in an answer to a question yesterday, we as a government extended an extra $13-odd million for research and development for the sugar industry, particularly in North Queensland where the honourable member represents the seat of Dawson. Mr Beattie also said that we should come to the party, and we have already identified programs that we are going to fund in that process of increasing the sugar content in the crop up there.

The Beattie government, on coming to power, actually withdrew funding from this research and development program that had been announced by the former Borbidge government. They withdrew funding and then they came back, in the lead-up to the Mulgrave by-election, and reannounced it, saying it was new funding. So the question is a very pertinent one. It is about the efficacy of the way the Queensland government is running its business.

I will just close by saying that our government stands behind the Queensland sugar industry, particularly in North Queensland, and we aim to provide the resources so that it can address the problems that it is facing, particularly the sugar content problem in North Queensland. We have done that, and we have expressed that commitment very clearly with the extra $13 million we are providing.