Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is the last country left in the world that, to kill sharks, still uses lethal shark nets and drum lines. They are weapons of mass destruction to protected marine life. I hope that in the term of this government, when we review the EPBC Act—which provides exemptions for the New South Wales and Queensland state governments to kill protected marine life indiscriminately—this problem is solved by a change to our environment legislation.

I also wanted to raise the fact that the Senate inquiry into shark mitigation, which took extensive evidence all around the country that shark nets do not make beaches safe and are killing our protected and endangered marine life, and that there are better solutions for protecting human beings and ocean-goers, is the only Senate inquiry under the last government that was never responded to. So I look forward to working with this Labor government to get a response from the federal environment department and actually lay out what the federal government can do to show leadership on protecting our marine life and also striking the right balance in protecting surfers and other ocean-goers off our coastlines.

I would also like today to give a shout-out to the now over 1,000 parliamentarians around the world who have started to take action to free Walkley Award winning journalist Julian Assange. It is a national disgrace and shame that this parliament and this last government have done nothing to intervene actively to free Julian Assange and bring him back to Australia. Let me tell you: there is momentum building all around the world now. This issue is only going to get bigger. The Albanese government have made the right noises, but now is the time to explain to the Australian people what you're doing and to step up and make sure this Australian hero is freed from the UK hellhole— (Time expired)