Opinion Articles

The Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries has a budget credibility problem

JACKIE Jarvis was appointed Minister for Agriculture and Food in December 2022. She picked up responsibility for Fisheries in March 2025, giving her three budgets and one election to get her head around the DPIRD budget papers. Now, long-suffering readers – along with the minister’s office and the diversity crew scattered across DPIRD’s multiple Perth HQs – will know exactly where this is going. Once again, I’ve gone back to the State budget to point

Trevor Whittington January 29, 2026

Media Releases

WAFarmers backs mandated pain relief for mulesing as flystrike threat remains front and centre

WAFarmers has welcomed the Minister for Agriculture’s confirmation in Parliament that Western Australia will mandate the use of pain relief for mulesing under the nationally agreed Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for sheep, noting the move is squarely in line with existing WAFarmers policy. WAFarmers Livestock Council supports that effective pain relief should be mandatory for mulesing and has consistently supported continued research into practical alternatives to surgical mulesing. Geoff Pearson, President of the

Darren Brown November 20, 2025

Opinion Articles

Can Captain Jarvis Navigate Without a Polling Compass?

I’ve stood on the bridge of the Fisheries portfolio before, watching the charts, reading the soundings, and warning the captain that reefs lay ahead. As a former Chief of Staff to a Fisheries Minister, I recognise the signs when a government vessel starts taking on water and the crew pretend it’s just spray over the bow. WA is again steering toward the same rocks: science shouting from the crow’s nest, lobby groups whispering on the

Trevor Whittington November 13, 2025

Opinion Articles

Captain Jarvis will go down in history

Long-suffering readers know my refrain: Western Australia can build stadiums, museums and Metronet tunnels, yet still cannot build a permanent home for its agriculture department. Call it DPIRD or the old Ag Department, or — as I prefer — the Department of People, Inclusion, Re-education and Diversity. Titles change, logos change, ministers change. The reality stays the same. For decades we have shuffled staff around Perth like sailors swapping hammocks on a leaking frigate, while

Trevor Whittington November 6, 2025