Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

We see firsthand the sensitivity of the Labor Party over their coalition partners. They cannot even come in and address the specifics of the question that is put before the chamber; they have to have a rant and then run. For Senator Cameron to talk to the coalition about tobacco when it has been disclosed that the Minister for Health and Ageing has approached big tobacco for personal donations for her own campaign really demonstrates what we are talking about here today. It puts them in line with the point that we are making about the approach of the Greens, who, having taken a $1.6 million donation—the largest ever donation in Australian political history—now come into this chamber on a regular basis asking questions on behalf of the backers.

It is really quite extraordinary that they might do that, but as part of the process of doing that they misrepresent the issue that is being dealt with in Tasmania's forests at the moment. Senator Milne asserts that there is a clause within the process that excludes any new contracts. Senator Milne is talking about something that is history. It is something that has been superseded by the signatories agreement signed a couple of weeks ago. So Senator Milne is behind the times and does not know what she is talking about but continues to represent the interests of this major donor. In fact, the plant that is being spoken about is specifically referred to in the signatories agreement as continuing into the future. Part of the signatories agreement that Senator Milne referred to in her question to Senator Ludwig today is referred to as a vital piece of infrastructure for forestry in Tasmania and is written into the agreement as a continuing piece of infrastructure.

Regarding the other point that Senator Milne made about no further agreements, the next paragraph says it is recognised that there may be new players that take up existing allocations. So Senator Milne not only misrepresents the process but then comes in here to represent the interests of a $1.6 million donor to the Greens. It is not only Senator Milne and Senator Brown, as has been indicated by Senator Brandis; Mr Booth and Mr Morris in the Tasmanian parliament today also asked questions in relation to this matter on behalf of their major donors. The really disappointing thing is that there seems to be some form of acceptance, perhaps even from the govern­ment, that the only way to protect Tasmania's forests is to lock them up, but as part of the process the ENGOs are claiming 28-year-old regrowth from clear-fell and burn as high conservation value—a clear demonstration of how well forestry is done in Tasmania, a complete misrepresentation of the industry that is going on here by the Greens on behalf of their donors but also, in a broader sense, in the Australian com­munity, where they completely misrepresent the forest sector and the forest industry in their own interests. My suspicion is that this particular donor has been sucked in, unfortunately, by these misrepresentations of the Tasmanian and Australian forest industries by the Greens, and has been convinced to make this huge donation—$1.6 million, the largest-ever donation in Australian politics personally negotiated by Senator Bob Brown—yet continue to attempt to represent the interests of that donor in this particular case. In typical Greens style, they try to diminish the reputation of all of those involved. They tried to diminish the reputation of Aprin Logging. No, that is part of the Greens tactic: attack the person, diminish their reputation so anything that they possibly say in public will not be taken any notice of, and so the Greens can continue to go out and peddle their propaganda.

It is really disappointing that continued misrepresentation of the negotiation process in Tasmania is put into this place by the Greens. It is very disappointing that the government will not stand up to the Greens in respect of the value of our native forest industry in Australia and it is most disappointing that there is not one member of the Tasmanian ALP in this chamber. (Time expired)