I am not familiar with the Cane Toads situation. If that did happen, then it was a wrong decision.
Regarding government relying on experts advice, what else can a government do ? We live in a fairly complex world, and such technical matters are best left to the experts. I certainly would not like to see a minister making a decision on such a technical matter with severe consequence based on his/her own opinion without the support of credible scientific evidence.
Ideally, a minister should take on board the advice from experts, and make a political decision as to which way to go, and this is where the public can play a role in the eventual outcome of that decision.
On a technical matter that can have significant consequence, I would expect the minister to consult widely.
granted, experts can get it wrong too, but is there a better way ?
