Minister Must Go: Opposition Demands Accountability After Shot Hole Borer Failure

Media Release | 18 June 2025

The Opposition is calling for Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis to be stripped of her portfolio following her admission that the Cook Labor Government has failed to contain the devastating spread of Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) across Western Australia.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture Lachlan Hunter MLA said Minister Jarvis’s concession that the pest was now “no longer technically feasible to eradicate” was a damning indictment of the Government’s failure to act swiftly and decisively.

“Minister Jarvis has admitted she failed to keep Western Australia protected. That is an extraordinary admission of failure, and she should resign,” Mr Hunter said.

“This outbreak has spiralled out of control. More than 3,000 trees have already been lost, including in Kings Park, and now the best this Government can offer is a plan to manage the fallout.”

Mr Hunter said the Cook Labor Government’s decision to pour another $26.5 million into a response effort for a pest they have already declared cannot be eradicated shows just how badly they have mismanaged this crisis.

“Throwing money at a pest that has already gotten away won’t take us very far. This funding is too little, too late. Where was this level of urgency when it could have made a difference?”

The Leader of the Opposition Basil Zempilas says the new budget measures fail to address the root cause of the crisis: a sluggish and inadequate response.

“The State Government’s spin doctors are trying to have Western Australians believe they should be applauded for trying to slow the spread of something they failed to contain in the first place,” Mr Zempilas said.

“The Minister had a responsibility to lead this response but instead she handed the mess to local governments, tried to lock them into secretive agreements, and failed to share critical information,” Mr Zempilas said.

“The Premier should stand up, accept responsibility on behalf of the Government and sack Minister Jarvis.”

Shadow Minister for Local Government Kirrilee Warr MLA said the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development had acted far too slowly, placing an unfair burden on local governments.

“Local governments have been screaming for help while Labor completely abandoned its biosecurity responsibility,” she said.

“It is too late to save what has already been lost, but the Government must act now to limit the damage. We back WALGA’s call for a proper recovery plan, including funding to invest in real prevention and treatment solutions.

ENDS