Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

It is remarkable that Senator Whish-Wilson, firstly, will not take seriously the fact that the government has proper analysis, proper processes, to make sure that when we talk about issues like coral bleaching it is based on the facts and the evidence and what is actually occurring. That is exactly the process that is underway and that is exactly what I outlined before. It is even more staggering, frankly, that the Australian Greens sit there as a cheer squad, hoping, wishing, that the Great Barrier Reef would somehow be listed as further endangered. They are hoping, cheering, wishing, it seems, that they will be able to go out there and say, 'See, we were right all along,' and, in doing so, of course, causing damage to the lifestyles, the jobs and the economy of those in Queensland who rely upon the Great Barrier Reef. Our government is working proactively through our record levels of investment, through our Reef 2050 Plan, to deliver solutions in relation to the reef—efforts that that will make a real difference rather than the damage you wish— (Time expired)