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

In New Zealand they rely very heavily on the sterile monoculture of radiata pine plantations, unlike Australia. Australia relies on native forest, which provides habitat to our endemic species so that the wildlife can coexist with it—unlike the sterility of those pine forests. But what is the real difference between Australia and New Zealand? For the past decade Australia has had the benefit of a Howard coalition government that looks after jobs, looks after industry and looks after the environment. In New Zealand you have a Labour government, in cahoots with the Greens, destroying the environment, destroying jobs and destroying the forest industry. So I warn the Australian people that that which has happened in New Zealand is what Senator Brown wants to occur over here and it will occur because he will be wagging the tail of the Rudd government if it were ever to be elected. (Time expired)