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

We have heard from Senator Bartlett, who was honest enough to tell us that basically his speech was similar to a speech that he has given on numerous other occasions. I thank him for that. So, without traversing the ground any further, I simply refer people to the Hansard where I have responded to him previously.

Senator Milne’s contribution was once again, if I might say, a bizarre and confused ramble. But it did show how antiforestry and how antitrees the Australian Greens are. It was quite a bizarre contribution. They go around the world telling us all that carbon and greenhouse gases are the most important issues confronting the world and that we have to deal with them and then they say in the next breath, ‘And the Howard government is doing nothing about it.’

Here we are introducing legislation and trying to provide carbon sinks, and what is the Greens’ first stunt? They complain about planting trees and they want to delay the passage of the legislation. Assisting the world’s atmosphere by providing carbon sinks is either important or it is not. But here we go, yet again, with a classic case of the Australian Greens trying to have it both ways. Their mantra against forestry, against trees and against tree plantations is such that all you have to do is mention them and they start salivating like Pavlov’s dog and know they have to oppose it irrespective of how good it might be for the environment.

We have been told a number of things which are just false. The emissions task force will be dealing with some of the further details, but what we want to do is provide certainty to people who want to plant trees for carbon sinks. If we believe that greenhouse gases are a real problem then we should be encouraging this type of activity—but not according to the Greens.

We have heard the bizarre commentary about deforestation on the Tiwi Islands. I have had the privilege of being to the Tiwi Islands, and the Aboriginal land council there actually support what is going on. The income that is being generated is now allowing them to develop their own private school. Do you know why they are using the income generated for their own private school? It is because the leaders of that community—people who are in their 60s and 70s—are concerned that the education they got as young people is not of the same high standard as what their sons and grandsons have achieved. They have said the education system is letting them down, and they see a real benefit for future generations in this.

Monocultures were mentioned as well. There is condemnation of changing a monoculture pasture to a monoculture tree plantation. But what is the environmental impact of that? It is virtually nil. But once again the bad thing is that there are trees! We cannot have trees being planted! It is a very bizarre position that the Greens continually put.

What the Greens also deliberately avoided in their discussion were other aspects of this bill which deal with grants for tobacco growers. We as a government have taken a stance in relation to tobacco growing. There is a particular exemption being provided to enable these people to get grants to get out of tobacco growing. I would have hoped that we would all support that move, especially the Australian Greens. These people are now putting in their tax returns for the previous financial year, and it is important that they be provided with certainty as well. That is a part of the bill that the Greens would also seek to delay, which would mean that these people could not put their tax returns in.

The other aspects of the bill are not canvassed at all by the Greens. The only thing they oppose is trees. Like the Pavlovian dog that salivates whenever the bell rings, all you have to do is mention trees, plantation and forestry and the Greens go berserk and think they have to oppose it—even if it is good for the environment, as it is on this occasion. (Time expired)