Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

I have two questions. The first relates to the issue of the emergency measures in Queensland raised by the member for Makin with regard to the salvation of cattle that would otherwise perish, either through the terrible process of starvation or through a direct shot from a farmer acting humanely. I have met with those farmers in this building, Minister. I have also spoken with the Queensland Minister for National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. I would respectfully put that the view is quite different on the ground to the one that you have presented.

There is a very real concern of a deep, agonising, inhumane death for many of these animals that are in areas immediately adjacent to national parks or conservation zones that are on the periphery in regional areas. They represent the one hope of preventing these animals from suffering an agonising, slow death from starvation or of farmers having to make the equally agonising personal decision to shoot the animals so that they may lie where they fall. On that basis, does the minister honesty believe that it is a higher environmental purpose to protect one season's grass growth rather than to prevent the extreme suffering of animals that need simply travel a short distance to be on land that until recently was grazing land?

My second question is on quite a different matter. This question is in relation to synthetic greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substances. Can the minister explain how the reductions in funding under the synthetic greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substances component of the budget will operate? What will it mean? How will the issue be addressed?

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