Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

It is very good to get a question about the Tarkine. This government, of course, as Senator Brown knows, put in place a historic agreement with the Tasmanian government to not only give the Tarkine the most substantial level of protection that magnificent forest has ever had but also ensure that the very important forestry based jobs were made secure. Again, it demonstrates that you can have policies that create historic and very important levels of protection for Australia’s natural environment but also, very importantly—as Senator Brown has referred to in his important question—for heritage, particularly the unique heritage of Australia’s Indigenous culture. The references that Senator Brown makes are disturbing, particularly after hearing the most eloquent speeches by our Prime Minister and particularly the British Prime Minister in the other place earlier today in relation to—