Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Hansard source

I am sorry, Senator Joyce, but that is an appalling suggestion. We have an agency which is internationally recognised as the best in the world at managing marine parks, and you want to babysit it for a while. The member for Dawson, Mrs Kelly, said on 26 October 2004:

What we’ve had is a statutory authority in GBRMPA that is out of control—

and—

has put, I think, no real scientific basis for the arguments they’ve put forward ...

It must never be forgotten that the Queensland Nationals did a preference deal with the Fishing Party at the last election on the basis that GBRMPA’s powers be moved into the department where the minister would have control of all decisions. This deal, as we know, helped get Senator Joyce elected.