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

I indicate to the committee that I am not going to go through the legislation chapter and verse, clause by clause as to what sector may or may not have been consulted. It is the government’s legislation. Having taken on board all the consultation that took place prior to its drafting and then, after its introduction into the House, the amendments, at the end of the day we say, ‘This is legislation which is within the overall national interest.’ There may well be—I am not sure what Senator O’Brien is getting at—sectors that are not fully satisfied. If that is the case, it does not surprise me because time and again we as a government have said we do not legislate for sectoral interests; we legislate for the national interest.