Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Campbell, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. Is the minister aware that the Queensland shadow minister for the environment has called for the abolition of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, with its functions to be transferred to the state government? Does the minister agree with Mr Rob Messenger when he claims that the authority has been taken over by an elite, ideologically driven minority? Can the minister also tell the Senate if he agrees with statements by another Queensland coalition candidate, Dr Paul Joice, that the authority is ‘totally out of control and has lied to fishermen’? Given that Dr Joice has urged him to get on with it by abolishing the authority, can the minister give a guarantee that the government has no plans to abolish the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and no plans to transfer its functions to the state government?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is nice to get a question from the Labor Party on an issue of the environment. I think it has been a very long time since they took an interest in the environment.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: they asked the question; I cannot hear the answer. Could you please bring them to order.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just did. I must say that the performance in the chamber today has been much better than it has been in the last couple of weeks.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, it has been a very, very long time since the Labor Party took an interest in environmental issues. They certainly take an interest in building industrial facilities on the Gippsland coast—they are very keen to build industrial facilities around the coast—but it has been a long time since they took an interest in an environmental issue.

I am always very happy to receive questions about the Great Barrier Reef, because, when you compare the coalition government’s record on protecting the Great Barrier Reef with what that mob did in their time, and what they proposed under their existing Latham-Beazley policy on the Great Barrier Reef, you see a phenomenal contrast between the Labor Party and the record of the Howard government on protecting one of the great Australian icons of the environment, the Great Barrier Reef—a distinguished record of environmental protection for the Great Barrier Reef going back to the years of Malcolm Fraser, who established the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and nominated it for the World Heritage List.

There is a stark contrast between the Labor Party and the coalition, which only two years ago put in place a policy of increasing the protection for the reef from the four per cent of the reef area that was protected under the previous Labor regime. As a result of the coalition’s policies we have improved the protection of the reef, the no-take zones and the marine protected areas to 34 per cent of the reef, a massive achievement.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: this is a very serious question. We are three days out from the state election, and we have two candidates in the Queensland parliament trying to work out what they are going to do, with a federally run authority—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! What is your point of order, Senator?

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Relevance, Mr President.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the minister of his question; he has two minutes to complete his answer.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am drawing a distinction between the protection the coalition government has put in place for the reef under the auspices of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, an increase to 34 per cent, and that of the previous Labor regime. When you focus on the issue of the protection of the reef and the role the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority plays in that—and, of course, it was very contentious along the Queensland coast—and when you move from protection of four per cent to 34 per cent and remove the fishing effort that was involved there, at a cost of in excess of $100 million to date, you create a lot of angst in the local community.

Of course, the key issue on that coast, leading up to the last election was: just what would Labor do in relation to the park and the boundaries? And the Australian Labor Party’s policy on protection of the reef stands in stark contrast to ours. When I was asked the question: ‘What would you do?’ I said, ‘We will stand by the boundaries and we will pay structural adjustment to the fishing industries and the tourism industries.’ Of course, when Labor was asked the question—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The minister has yet to actually mention the authority in 3½ minutes of blathering about it. Could you draw him to the question?

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I hear what you say but the minister still has a minute to complete his answer and I remind him of the question.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have mentioned the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority on at least half a dozen occasions. I think perhaps Senator Conroy should go and get a cotton bud and get his ears cleaned out. When Labor were asked what they were going to do about protection of the marine park under the auspices of the marine park authority, Mr Latham said he was going to review the boundaries—tear up the boundaries. And that remains their policy.

The coalition have a policy of protecting the reef and giving structural adjustment to those who have been affected by the massive increase in the protection of that reef to make it the most well-protected reef in the world. It is the best managed reef in the world. That is our policy. Labor’s policy is to tear up the boundaries and leave the protection of the reef—which was put in place by the Howard government—at risk. I challenge Senator McLucas to get up and say that they have now torn up the Latham policy and that they will stand by the Australian government’s boundaries. (Time expired)

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Disabilities and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister gave no guarantee about the future of the Great Barrier Marine Park Authority. Can the minister confirm that a proposal for the abolition of the authority will go to cabinet in the next few weeks?

Hasn’t the government been careful to avoid announcing this change prior to the Queensland election? Can the minister confirm that these coalition candidates have, in fact, let the cat out of the bag? Finally, will the minister come out and tell us who is right: Dr Joice, who wants the authority’s functions sent to Canberra, or Mr Messenger, who wants the functions sent to the Queensland government?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we do know is that the Labor Party will tear up the boundaries to protect the Great Barrier Reef. This is their policy.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senators on my left, your colleague has asked a supplementary question. I think you should at least allow the minister to answer it with some peace in the place.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. My point of order is that the reason for the reaction from the opposition is clearly that a very direct, straightforward supplementary question was put to that minister. He commenced by saying, ‘The Labor Party ...’ The point of order is on relevance.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is treating the question with contempt.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The minister has had nine seconds only to answer the supplementary question. At least I think he should, in quietness, be allowed to complete the supplementary answer.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is very embarrassing for Labor because the Latham-Beazley policy is to tear up the 34 per cent of green zones. Senator McLucas knows very well that I have said in estimates committees and on Townsville radio—on Townsville ABC—that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has served Australia and the reef well for 30 years. And it will continue to serve Australia well for the next 30 years. If Senator McLucas wants to go and scare the people at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, she can continue to do that, but the government’s intention is to ensure that we have a well-funded Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, based in Townsville, continuing to do the brilliant work it is doing at protecting Australia’s No. 1 environmental icon. Senator McLucas should be absolutely ashamed of herself for this outrageous scare campaign that she seeks to run.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.