Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Prime Minister, the Courier Mail front page said David Attenborough labelled the Great Barrier Reef as 'magnificent'—not 'endangered', but 'magnificent'. Are you aware that China holds the chairmanship of UNESCO, currently meeting in China? Isn't the proposed declaration by UNESCO of the barrier reef as endangered a serious erosion of Australia's sovereignty and yet another intrusion into the control room of our country?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leader of the House?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I just point out to you that the question asked of the DPM is really better directed to the Minister for the Environment. Clearly those issues come within the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, not the Deputy Prime Minister.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I am the greatest admirer of the Leader of the House—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hang on! I haven't called you yet. The member for Kennedy.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[Inaudible] my tuppence worth in.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I just heard you admiring someone, which is rare for you in this place. The member for Kennedy has the call.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I love the Leader of the House, but, with all due respect, the question is about sovereignty, not about the environment. It's about sovereignty.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, but that still doesn't bring it into order. The Deputy Prime Minister, like any other minister, is entitled to ask another minister to answer if the question has been misdirected. I think the Leader of the House has made a reasonable point. The Minister for the Environment.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Kennedy for his question, and reassure him that Australia will always stand up for our national interest. This year's 44th session of the World Heritage Committee is organised by UNESCO in cooperation with the host country China. The member refers to media reports this morning that draft recommendations were released last night that would seek to place the Great Barrier Reef on the 'in danger' list. We will work closely with all state parties in the World Heritage system to ensure they understand why Australia believes it is wrong to single out the best managed reef in the world for this potential 'in danger' listing. Climate change is the single-biggest threat to all of the world's reef ecosystems, not just Australia's, and there are 83 natural World Heritage properties facing climate change threat, so it's not fair to simply single out Australia.

The draft recommendation was based on old data. UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre didn't actually come and inspect the reef for themselves, and this means that they have failed to witness firsthand the enormous efforts of traditional owners, farmers, tourism operators and communities up and down the reef coast who are working with the Australian and Queensland governments to protect the reef. There are 200 different reef protection projects happening on the ground because of our investment. That's a $3 billion combined investment, which builds on the Liberal-National coalition's fine history of protecting the Great Barrier Reef. And I'd like to remind the House, and the member for Kennedy would be only too aware of this, that it was the Fraser government which, in 1975, banned oil and gas operations on the Great Barrier Reef. In 1981, when it was under the stewardship of the Liberal and National parties, the Great Barrier Reef won World Heritage status. On this side of the House we have a proud and determined record in protecting this national icon, and that will continue.