Minister Jo Palmer walks back on ‘lovely chat’ claims

Liberal Minister Jo Palmer said she had “lovely conversations” with constituents concerned about changes to fishing rules. She was called out for not speaking to two of them in parliament.

A LIBERAL minister has apologised in parliament after incorrectly claiming she had personally spoken with constituents concerned about government reforms to lobster fisheries.

In parliament on Tuesday, Primary Industries and Water Minister Jo Palmer claimed to have had “lovely conversations” with rock lobster fishers to make amends for a perfunctory response to their concerns.

“I was able to pick up the phone straight away and apologise to the people I had done that to, and they were fantastic,” she said.

“They were quite surprised I had picked up the phone and we ended up having lovely conversations. I appreciate you highlighting that for me.

“I will say again that I am not ever going to be the sort of minister who has a chat to someone in a genuine effort to understand where they are coming from then publicly go out without their permission and sing that in order to score political points.”

Primary Industries Minister Jo Palmer. Picture: Chris Kidd

Labor’s Janie Finlay checked Ms Palmer’s story and found that two of the four fishers – referred to as “Adam” and “Geoff” – had received no such call.

“They both told me yesterday that you did not call them personally,” she said.

“You say the only thing they are surprised about, to quote you yesterday, is that you would try to pretend that you had spoken to them when you have not.

“They feel, to quote Geoff, like they have had a ‘kick in the guts’.”

Ms Palmer (pictured) walked back her “lovely conversations” claim.

“I should have said ‘my office and I’ reached out to the four people,” she said. “I apologise, particularly to Adam and Geoff. If they would like to contact me any time, I am more than happy to do that.

“As soon as I left the chamber and attended to my business, I made a point of making sure those people were contacted as quickly as possible.

“However, you are right – it was me and my office, which is an extension of me.”

Ms Finlay said in the light of the changing story, Ms Palmer’s claims to have consulted with the industry over reforms were unconvincing.

“In parliament this week, the minister said she sat on wharves and spoke to fishers. How many wharves and how many small, single-handed fishers has the minister spoken to face-to-face?” she said.

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