Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

Let me finish, Senator. Not only did they call a meeting; Senator Carr would not even come to Tasmania. He called the locals to go to him in Victoria. They had to travel to Victoria to meet with him. He did not have time to come to Tasmania. Then he put into place a committee to consider the future of the pulp and paper industry, alongside the decision-making process of the company. And guess what?

The committee he put into place did not report until after months and months, after the company had made the decision to close. He said at the outset that this committee would consider the industry in conjunction with the company itself, so that the company could be informed by the process of the committee, but the committee did not report until well and truly later.

We are consulting with the community. The member for Braddon has already spoken to the Prime Minister in the Prime Minister's office. He has also spoken to the office of the Minister for Industry—who will be in Tasmania next week. With the former minister, they had to go to him.