Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

If the Australian people needed another example of why the Greens should never be allowed to control the Senate or the Tasmanian parliament, it was that interjection and alleged point of order by Senator Brown. I remind the Australian people and the Australian Greens that, when an issue of genuine importance came up before this place in August 2009, when my very good friend and very capable colleague Senator Bernardi sought precedence for the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Child Protection from Predatory Tourism Offences) Bill 2008, Senator Brown voted against giving it precedence. Here we have today in the Senate an example of the fact that the Australian Greens see protecting whales as a more important issue than protecting children from predatory tourism. That is their sense of community consciousness. That is how warped their priorities are. If it is not their idea, it is not good and it does not deserve precedence. But if it is about jackets, if it is about whales or whatever, if it is their thought, then of course it deserves precedence and everything else has to be swept aside.

The Australian people should look very carefully at the exercise we are witnessing today. I support the general thrust of the bill. Indeed, as Senator Brown indicated, it bears my name. But I then have to ask the question: is the provision of supplies and support to whaling vessels—and I abhor whaling—a more important, burning issue than protecting innocent young children from the abhorrent practice of so-called child sex tourism? What a terrible sense of priorities the Australian Greens have brought into this place today. They are on the record as opposing precedence for Senator Cory Bernardi’s request that young children, especially in Asia, be protected from those abhorrent criminals that seek to use them and destroy their lives. But the Australian Greens say, ‘No, that is okay. Sweep the kids aside. We want our five minutes in the sunshine to pull a stunt on whales and show people how warm-hearted we are.’ These mammals, I think Senator Brown said, have warm blood flowing through them. Can I tell you, Senator Brown, so do the kids in South-East Asia. But you thought they were of no consequence.

We in the coalition approach all these things with a sense of balance. We say that the bill co-sponsored by Senator Siewert is a good bill, and we do support it in general terms. But the question is: where should it fit into the scheme of priorities? I make no apologies on behalf of the coalition in saying that, if there is a choice between bringing precedence to a piece of legislation that seeks to protect children from the evil of so-called child sex tourism and supporting whaling vessels, it will be the children that win each and every day, and heaven help this country if the Greens ever get control of this place or the Tasmanian parliament. (Time expired)