Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Abetz, and it is regarding the impending closure of the Auspine mill at Scottsdale with the loss of 300 jobs. Can the minister tell the Senate how many millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money have gone into the establishment of plantations now controlled by Taswood which are going to be denied to Auspine? Would the minister use his good offices to establish an independent review of the contractual arrangements, particularly considering the offer by Auspine to match any of its competitor’s prices in ensuring it got a pine supply to the Scottsdale mill to protect the 300 direct and 700 indirect jobs now threatened to be lost?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think all Tasmanians are concerned at the situation at the Auspine mill in Scottsdale in the seat of Bass. It is noteworthy that the newly endorsed Labor candidate has not been making any comments about that. The member for Bass, Michael Ferguson, is in fact leading a task force to assist the community. The Auspine situation is one wholly and solely of the state government’s making. The state government owns 50 per cent of the resource in a partnership with another company that operates under the name of Rayonier, if I recall correctly, and they were in negotiations with Auspine for the supply of timber. Those commercial negotiations were undertaken and the state government through Forestry Tasmania et cetera have determined to allocate the timbers to be harvested to another company, Forest Enterprises Australia.

If the honourable senator wants to pursue this, and I think there are questions that need to be asked and matters that need to be pursued in this area, I suggest his Greens colleagues in the state parliament of Tasmania follow the excellent example of Mr Peter Gutwein, Liberal candidate for Bass in the state parliament, who has been doing a fantastic job in prosecuting this issue and seeking to keep the state Labor government of Mr Paul Lennon accountable on this very important and sensitive issue.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. The minister did not answer the question about how many millions of dollars of Australian taxpayers’ money have gone into the establishment of those pine plantations that are now being denied to Auspine. In view of that taxpayer investment, will the minister move to again establish an independent review of the denial of the logs to Auspine, with the terrible consequent results for the Scottsdale mill and community? Can the minister comment on press speculation that it was Auspine’s offer to Prime Minister Howard for an alternative to old-growth logging which brought out an angry reply from Gunns Ltd and old-growth logging entities in Tasmania which is now, through punishment, leading to the denial of the logs to the Auspine mill?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a wonder the Exclusive Brethren are not involved in the conspiracy as well.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’d know if they were; you’d know them all.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are some who live in Scottsdale—you never know, Senator Brown. In relation to the Commonwealth investment in softwood plantations, I say to the people of Scottsdale: be not deceived by the crocodile tears of Senator Brown and the Greens, who are opposed to non-endemic species being put into plantations.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order, Mr President. The minister did not use his five minutes. He now has one minute to answer the two pertinent questions: one question is about the millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money and the other is about an independent review. I ask you, Mr President, to seek the minister’s answer to those questions before he sits down in this place.

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

The minister has 29 seconds to complete his answer, and I remind him of the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth contribution to Tasmania’s softwood plantations, which I assume Senator Brown supports, was to develop a Tasmanian softwood industry and downstream processing. Whether that is done in Scottsdale or Bell Bay is ultimately a matter for the state government, and that is the only debate in Tasmania. In relation to whether or not I want to speculate on a conspiracy, we have had more than enough conspiracy theories from the Greens and, no, I do not want to speculate. (Time expired)