Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

It was a long battle, Senator McLucas, but the commitment was made prior to the election by the then Prime Minister John Howard. Had we been returned, this would have been dealt with long before now. That is a matter of record. But what is also a matter of record—and it does concern me—is that the Labor Party actually agreed to this prior to the election. Does that mean the Labor Party would say anything before the election to get a vote from those fishing families up along the coast and then, after the election, completely renege on that promise? That was not averred to by the minister. I do not particularly want to carry this along, but I simply want to put that on record. I again thank the Senate for its support for those amendments.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a third time.