MP mashes WA*s tough potato rules (AAP)

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Western Australia's tough potato marketing regulations have been likened to laws for hard drugs in the state's parliament.

The 68 year old Potato Marketing Act restricts the varieties that can be grown and sold.

Debating an amendment to a clause in the legislation, opposition justice spokesman John Quigley said the change made it marginally easier to prosecute anyone who had the temerity to grow and sell a potato outside of the strictures of the Marketing of Potatoes Act and the Potato Marketing Board's monopoly.

"I cannot understand, with 80 commercial growers in WA, that so much effort would be put into protecting this market," he said.

It is curious that a Liberal government would continue to support this regulated market, a government that would tell us it is rooted in the principles of private enterprise and the power of the free market, Mr Quigley said.

Mr Quigley defended Perth's potato-growing Gelati family, who had achieved a certain degree of infamy for fighting the tough restrictions and rules, as though they are growing and selling illicit substances.

"It is as though we are dealing with crack cocaine," opposition treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt chipped in.

Mr Quigley tested the patience of the Speaker Michael Sutherland with regular digressions, referring to some of his favourite restaurants and extolling the merits of the humble spud.

"Being of Irish stock, I do not know whether it is in our DNA, but I really do like my spuds and I would have them with nearly every meal, not all fluffed up as mashed potato with butter, cream and all that gunk in them, but just microwaved and spread with a bit of margarine and eaten with their skins on," he said.

Mr Quigley touched on the importation of American nectarines following the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement, saying it hadn't spelt the end of WA nectarine growers and made the summer fruit available in the depth of winter.

"But we say that it is illegal if we come across a good crop of spuds in Victoria at a very competitive price and bring them over here and offer them to the public. Somehow that is to be punished and I do not know why." Mr Quigley said.

The amendment was passed.

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