Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

You are right, Senator Ryan. If they get the wrong answer, they might find they have something to explain to the taxpayers of Australia who are being short-changed by this government. We have a situation where in government there is a total responsibility to make sure that, in the spending of every taxpayer’s dollars, there is some accountability and some justification for that expenditure.

I want to talk about another matter which is particular to my state just at present and it deals with minerals exploration and mining. I am a great supporter of mining exploration and the minerals industry in Australia and the tremendous work that they do. The resources that we have in Australia contribute largely to allowing us to have the lifestyle that we currently lead. But I am not a supporter of exploration for mining at all costs. We have a situation in South Australia right now in which the state Labor government has just reactivated a minerals exploration licence for Marathon Resources in the Arkaroola sanctuary in the northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. I have been to Arkaroola and seen this unique sanctuary. It is only a small area. We almost have more uranium resources in Australia than we know what to do with—some of it unexplored yet.