Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

I look forward to engaging in that exercise for the benefit of members opposite and also for you, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is very clear that those issues that were addressed in terms of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust itself, which is the matter for consideration here, are matters of national heritage significance. It is that question and also the government’s record that I am addressing here. If the government does not want to have debate and reflections made on its record here in the House, then I allow others to make a judgement about that. In the meantime, I propose to consider it.

Incredibly, Australia’s World Heritage areas were only added to the National Heritage List in May 2007. These additions were made without ceremony and reflect government embarrassment over its failure to include those places on the list at an earlier stage. On the flip side of heritage inaction, we have witnessed the politicisation of heritage listing processes. You can see it nowhere clearer than in the government’s approach to Anzac Cove. In 2003, the Prime Minister promised permanent protection—

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