Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have been called many things during my time in this Senate, but a tap dancer—I hope not.

In relation to the scourge of ice, I would like to think that all of us in this chamber would be in agreement with the honourable senator that ice is a substance that is destroying hundreds of thousands of lives right around Australia, particularly in Tasmania—the home state of the senator, the President and myself—and especially, from recent reports, on the north-west coast of Tasmania. Therefore, the honourable senator can be assured that, with the Attorney and Minister Keenan, we are doing everything we can through border protection, Customs, et cetera, to ensure that the importation of drugs into this nation is limited. Indeed, the manufacturing of drugs within this nation is limited— (Time expired)