Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was about to come into this constituents statements debate today and read out the extensive list of achievements that have been part of my activities as the federal member for McMillan—and it is an extensive list. And then I saw this on my desk: it is just a bit of rubbish paper that was about to be thrown out after opening a ream of paper. It is a simple thing, opening a ream of paper. We do it in this building all the time. All over the building people pick up a ream of paper, rip it open and put it in the machine. But this means more to me than just a simple piece of rubbish that is about to be thrown out. This is Australian paper. This paper was made in Australia by the hands of Australians, by the innovation of Australians, and it actually affects the lives of thousands of people in the electorates of Gippsland and McMillan and right across this nation. It is purchased by an international company and delivered to the parliament. But why is it special over and above the jobs that it provides to so many people? It is special because this is the most environmentally-friendly paper produced in the world. There is no other paper like it. It is special. This nation should be very proud every time we tear open one of these, because this is our paper. This paper is produced in sustainably managed forests out of plantation timber and native timber. This the cleanest paper environmentally in the world. We have a lot to be proud of as a nation with regard to this. Yet, sadly, many people in Australia choose the cheapest product rather than this Australian made paper which costs a little bit more.

We do not have the protections to protect us from paper being dumped on us from overseas without going through long and arduous programs. What we have here is something that enhances our environment and changes the lives of people in the community. What we need to do as a nation is to think: if you really care about the environment and if you really are troubled about what we buy, what we deliver, what we can do as a government, what we can do as a nation and what we can do as a household, think about buying Australian paper. We need to preserve this industry in perpetuity so that we have got the cleanest paper in the world, the cleanest jobs in the world and the greatest opportunities for our young people across Gippsland and McMillan. Buy Australian made paper.