Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is good to see you are awake on the other side. Do you really want to push for more production offshore with these marine parks, Senator Feeney? Do you feel all warm and cosy about the fact that you are going to lock up one of the biggest marine park areas in the world? What you completely ignore is that all you are doing is pushing that fishing into unsustainable regions around us in the Asia-Pacific region.

While this bill looks to make changes to the closure of fisheries, the waiver of levies and the liability of corporations and other principles, Labor are missing the bigger picture. In the longer term, we need to look at freeing up the impasse that has come about with obtaining free trade agreements with China and South Korea. I have got your attention now, Senator Feeney, because surely you would also be disappointed with the progress that your government is making. I pointed out earlier today that our $1 billion a year beef trade is significantly disadvantaged in South Korea because we do not have an agreement and there has been no urgency to get an agreement—and we did not hear anything from the Minister for Foreign Affairs about this at all when he was asked in question time. To listen and to understand the issues facing the fishing industry was the main purpose of my visit around South Australia several weeks ago. As I pointed out to the locals, who confirmed my suspicions, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig, and the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Mr Burke, have largely been absent from this region of Australia for a very long time. That is telling on Labor's attitude toward this industry, the country and the bush—given that Lincoln and Robe are the source of more than 60 per cent of the country's seafood. Rather than standing in the chamber postulating, I challenge the minister to get down there, talk to those fishermen and listen to them.