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

The Uhrig principles will not apply to the organisations that he referred to. The positions specifically for Indigenous representatives are in the various committees that I referred to previously, like the local marine advisory committees and the four reef advisory committees. Uhrig applies only to governance of statutory authorities, and the national parks boards are not statutory authorities. Part of the impact of the Uhrig review in relation to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park board has been that the ‘Indigenous representative’ that previously had been specifically referred to is no longer there.

We had a similar debate with Senator O’Brien during consideration of the Wheat Board legislation because specific reference to the Grains Council of Australia having a representative had been removed. I want to make it clear that the government has been applying this principle from the Uhrig review to how we can get best governance for these statutory authorities for the benefit of the Australian people. In this situation it means that it has been deemed necessary to delete the specific reference to an Indigenous representative, just as in the Wheat Board legislation it was required that specific reference to a Grains Council of Australia representative was deleted. This is a consistent principle that we are adopting throughout the statutory authorities, and those that previously had a position have expressed their upset—like the Grains Council at no longer being on the Wheat Board. That was done via Senator O’Brien. With this legislation, Senators Bartlett and McLucas, not surprisingly, are giving expression to what undoubtedly is the view of at least some if not a lot of people in the Indigenous community. I say to them that the boards that are now being put together are expertise based and there is no reason why an Indigenous person could not be part of a new expertise based board.

A similar situation has arisen in the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. That is going to be turned into a commission, and industry representatives who are currently serving will have some difficulties. So this is a principle that is being applied, be it across land management or Great Barrier Reef management issues, the Wheat Board or the fishing authority. It is a general principle that we are applying. It stands to reason that those who will no longer hold that position will feel somewhat aggrieved, I accept that, but the Indigenous community will still have substantial representative roles in all the other bodies. I am hopeful that somebody with the appropriate expertise will be found willing and able to be appointed to the board.

Question put:

That the amendment (Senator Bartlett’s) be agreed to.