Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about agriculture?

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I know that Senator Sherry bemoans not getting questions from this side, but all in this place would know his complete inability to answer the question is a function of that. My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong. Why has the government failed to fund the award-winning SeaNet program?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Scullion for the question. This is a question that goes to the government’s Caring for our Country arrangements. I make the point that I have made in previous answers to previous questions on this: the government has committed $2.25 billion under the Caring for our Country initiative, and we have done so consistent with the election commitments we made. It is very interesting that the opposition seek to play politics with these issues. As I reminded them on the last occasion, the previous government had already decided not to continue funding of organisations in the national action plan after 30 June 2008—in other words, the opposition are seeking to play a bit of politics in relation to a program they were going to cut. There was no funding in the forward estimates for that particular plan, so let us be clear: the previous government had already decided not to continue funding for the national action plan after 30 June this year.

Under Caring for our Country there will be increased opportunities for a wider range of organisations to bid for funds through public calls. If you look at what this government has committed through Caring for our Country, through open grants, through Community Coastcare, through the National Reserve System, through Working on Country and the range of election commitments, including $30 million per annum to implement Reef Rescue, what is clear is that regions will potentially be able to access $30 million to $55 million more in funding than they could under the previous government’s program.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that in the middle of next week the entire crew and all of the staff from the SeaNet program in Australia will lose their jobs and the programs the government indicate that they are going to replace it with are not due to come on line until some further stage, given the fact that the previous coalition government gave assurances that there would be seamless transfer of funding to programs, and given that this program enjoyed the support of both the fishing sector and environment groups and was effective in reducing biocatch and protecting endangered species, when before the election did Labor tell the people of Australia, environment groups and the fishing sector that this program was going to be axed? Isn’t this just another example of Mr Peter Garrett being right when he said before the last election, ‘Once we get in, we’ll just change it all’?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On that last question, I think people will remember the iconic core/non-core promises which were the manifest of the previous government. Unlike the previous government, we are committed to meeting our election commitments, many of which are contained in the budget that we know is being stalled by those opposite. I again remind the opposition of what I have said previously and I again indicate that non-government organisations are able to bid for funding through a public call for open grants totalling $25 million. This was announced on Saturday, 21 June and sought projects consistent with the six national priorities under Caring for our Country. These include a national reserve system, biodiversity and natural icons, coastal environments and critical aquatic habitats, sustainable farm practices, national resource management in remote and Northern Australia and community skills and older generation engagement. (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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