CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr VENNING (Grey) (09:40): In 2022, when the government changed, Australia already had the most expensive cigarettes in the world, but that didn't stop Labor's so-called fiscally responsible Treasurer from doubling down on increasing the tobacco excise, hitting the roughly 10 per cent of Australians who smoke and are not stopping. As I said at the time, all this will do is create a booming black market, and that's exactly what has happened.

We see crime and firebombings every week and a complete lack of enforcement from both state and federal governments, forcing councils to step in and do the job that they shouldn't have to. Enforcement agencies are playing a game of whack-a-mole. As I and others predicted, the government now collects less tobacco excise than it did before this ill-conceived increase.

Meanwhile, criminal gangs are thriving, and waste water data shows that smoking rates are increasing. Let's be clear. Crime is up, smoking is up, and government coffers are down.

This is an absolute policy failure—another shameful, ill-conceived Labor decision that punishes Australians and achieves nothing. Last week I spent three spectacular days at the 2025 Yorke Peninsula Field Days. This event delivered a powerful reminder to me of the importance of farming in this country.

The Yorke Peninsula Field Days are Australia's oldest field days, established way back in 1894. They're held in Baskerville in my electorate of Grey. I witnessed the incredible energy, innovation and spirit of our farming communities which, despite rising costs, drought conditions and increased challenges posed by government red tape, continue to push on and stand by the industry that they love.

The sheer scale of what was on display—from the cutting-edge machinery and technology that will drive the next generation of farming to the vibrant local produce and fashion—was truly inspiring. But the success of the field days is not just about the tractors and the technology. It's about the people.

I pay tribute to the dedicated team behind this enormous undertaking: Jessamy Correll, Scott Mercer, Brenton Drewett, John Haynes, Luke Graham, Michael Ellis, Martin Kenny, Chris Bretag, Paul Correll, Tim Millard, Peter Anderson, Dulcie Barker, Rachael Ayles, Rosalie Pearce, Wick Dayman, Geoff Lamshed and President Greg Stevens. Your commitment is the engine room of this event, and I'm already looking forward to 2027.

In early September, the Senate inquiry into the catastrophic algal bloom finally went to the heart of the crisis in my electorate, visiting Ardrossan and Port Lincoln. It was vital that the inquiry heard the heartbreaking stories of those affected. Ardrossan was one of the first towns hit, and it is still struggling.

Long after the crisis is over—and it is not over—this town will hurt. Oyster farms have been closed for over 150 days, and local businesses have been crippled. That'll do.