Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Thorp for her second supplementary question. The Liberals and Nationals should support the review and the government's amendments. Senator Colbeck himself said just three weeks ago that he acknowledged that 'the science continues to evolve and we should continue to invest in science so that we can get a good outcome and we must continue to improve our fisheries management'. I could not agree more. That is why I have called for a comprehensive review into the entire fisheries management system for the first time in almost 20 years. We need to move with the times, and Senator Colbeck has urged that we continue to improve our fisheries management. As recently as 16 August, a senior coalition frontbencher, Mr Greg Hunt, said his party was calling for 'an independent scientific panel to assess the impacts over and above what has already occurred. This should be an independent scientific panel to assess the sustainability'— (Time expired)