David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

How quickly petrol prices and interest rates vanish from the Labor Party’s perspective when there is a little bit of cheap politics to engage in. There they are bleating about petrol prices and interest rates, and today’s question time focuses on the orange-bellied parrot. My goodness! The credentials of this minister render him as one of the best environment ministers that this country has ever seen.

On the issue of whales alone, right around Western Australia there are people who make livings from whale watching and dolphin swimming. They are in electorates in regional Australia, electorates that the opposition does not know of or understand. In taking the stand that he has on so many environmental frontiers, he has assured the jobs of very many regional Australians in particular. He brings an energy and an enthusiasm to this portfolio, in utter and stark contrast to the environmental ministers in each of the states of our great country.

I want to draw attention to the fact that in Western Australia we have a scandalous environmental situation. Indeed, it is very timely that Senator Evans has led this debate in taking note of answers to questions. Since 2001, when the Labor Party took over in Western Australia, 4.2 million litres of raw sewage have gone into the Swan River. Not one single charge has flowed from that. This is because the previous environmental minister had absolutely no idea. One thing I can say about Senator Ian Campbell that is very important is that he is responsive to people and communities. That is a concept that, sadly, the opposition have in recent times not come to terms with.

Let me highlight how absolutely stupid the minister in Western Australia was. The minister had an EPA licence for the Midland brickworks.