Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I understand that Senator Bob Brown yesterday raised an inquiry about the production of certain documents. I inform Senator Brown and the Senate that regarding the documents he refers to the government responded to these matters variously on 16 June 2005 through Senator Hill and 23 June 2005 through Senator Vanstone. The position of the government as outlined to the Senate at that time was that fulfilling these requests is regarded as an unwarranted diversion of departmental resources away from their key role of protecting the nation’s environment. The government’s position has not changed.