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

It is indeed pertinent that Senator Brown sought to have this matter debated—or I suppose he did not, because he just wanted to go through without having any debate and without having his assertions questioned before this chamber. I am sure that my Tasmanian colleagues do not want to run away from any debate on this matter, because we are quite proud of our support for the forest industry—unlike the Greens, who continue to misrepresent it and to denigrate it and to attempt to destroy its markets with misrepresentation and misinformation.

It is important that this particular matter be aired properly. Far from being a nasty campaign that was conducted at the weekend, it was in fact attended by some 2,000 people—as has been reported in the media—which was very strong representation from the local community. And it was not just about logging, I might add. It also included some apple growers from down the Huon, who were concerned about the way that the government had treated them. It included a lot of other community representatives—in fact, there were some doctors there who were concerned about the impact on their local communities and the impact that the misrepresentation that the Greens had been putting forward were having on their local communities. So it was much broader than just the logging industry. Of course, they were there—and they are quite happy to admit that they were there.

Senator Brown forgets to acknowledge the fact that there was yet another rally in Smithton yesterday, where over 1,000 people turned out to express their concern about the impact of this sham deal that is being conducted in Tasmania. The facts around this deal are continuously misrepresented by the Greens. They want to lock up a further 572,000 hectares of Tasmanian forests immediately. The fact is that the Tasmanian community were lied to repeatedly by the assertion that this was a 'peace process'—a complete and utter sham. We were told that this was a peace process that would bring peace to Tasmania's forests, and yet the day after the intergovernmental agreement that Senator Brown wants to support was signed we had protesters in the forests. What an absolute joke. What a disgrace that the Greens want to represent this intergovern­mental agreement as a peace process. They think this is a good thing and yet the day after, having represented all through the negotiations that this was a peace process, you find protesters in the forests at Ta Ann in Smithton, chaining themselves to equip­ment—basically invading workplaces. Then the Greens' leader in Tasmania comes out and calls them heroes and congratulates them on this breach of the law. And then they have the nerve to complain when they are given a 12-month good behaviour bond and an exclusion from the Circular Head district for three months—I mean, give me a break. Then we have the ongoing campaign against Harvey Norman that is being run and supported by the Greens through this process.

Peace in the forests—what an absolute joke. The Greens say that they are happy to support this process, but of course they are then saying that, after they get the 572,000 hectares, they want the lot. They want to close down the entire native forest industry in Australia, not just Tasmania—they want to go for the whole lot. So any suggestion that we should be condemned for trying to put the brakes on a process that is the precursor to closing down the native forest harvesting sector all across Australia is a complete and utter farce, quite frankly. And I am more than happy to defend that. I am more than happy to stand up for the forest sector.

I received emails from people in the boat-building industry over the weekend. Seventy per cent of the remaining accessible timbers for the boat-building industry are in the 430,000 hectares that Senator Milne and Senator Brown want to lock up straightaway. Ninety per cent are already locked up: they are already conserved, they are already put away to be looked after in existing reserves. Seventy per cent of the remaining accessible timber is in the 430,000 that the Greens want to lock up straightaway. And then of what is left, when you go to the 572,000 hectares, that takes up 93 per cent of the total available timber for Tasmania's boat-building industry. I am sure the Greens don't—well, perhaps they do want to see that closed down.

This is a sham deal. There is no question: this deal is a complete and utter sham, and it should be torn up. Tasmania can do much better than this, and it should be standing up for a better deal. (Time expired)