Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I can see that you do that, Senator Abetz, with great gusto. Today in question time we did hear some kind of explanation from the government around this issue. It goes to how we as a government and how we as a country can sustain forestry in Tasmania, given all of the challenges that there are within that industry, and how we can rationally consider how to support community and industry groups in working through the challenges of forestry in Tasmania. I know that much work is going on in considering the Tasmanian Forest Principles Agreement and in ensuring that people's concerns about specific private interests in the Tasmanian forestry sector can be part of the grand plan for that industry's sustainability.

When we think about the continuing argument on forest conservation and wood supply arrangements in Tasmania, we know that there are many positions and competing interests. For us as a government, the Australian government's and the Tasmanian government's responsibility is to ensure that the agreement preserves our high conservation areas and wood supply arrangements in a way that supports the communities as well. The kind of argy-bargy that is going on here in the chamber today around the question asked by Senator Milne does not do that case any good. It certainly does not help us to ensure that we look after the interests of the forest communities in Tasmania or that forest practices support sustainable forest use and conservation outcomes, which are at the core and the forefront of our considerations.

That we get consumed by this conflict between the Greens and Senator Abetz on this issue does not do the Senate any good and certainly does not reflect well on the interests we all share here for a prosperous Tasmanian future. When we think about the work that is going into the Tasmanian Forest Principles Agreement and the issues around Forestry Tasmania, ensuring they take responsibility for the wood supply contract, we know that we are really focusing on a sustainable industry for the long term and that we are trying to marry the social, economic and environmental considerations that are at play here and we acknowledge the challenges for Tasmania and not just the drought conditions that have been exper­ienced down there. There are the climate change issues that are part and parcel of our current debate. The main challenge we have with a state like Tasmania with a small population is making sure that we can do the things that need to be put in place to foster economic sustainability in a small state. So really, thinking through what has been part of Senator Abetz's contribution today, it does not help the argument for his state, for his economy, or for the communities that he is seeking to represent—