Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Sherry. Can the minister inform the Senate of when the Oceanic Viking will resume its normal duties of patrolling Australia’s Southern Ocean fisheries instead of being used as a floating solution for the Prime Minister’s failed Indonesian solution?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question. The Australian government obviously takes illegal fishing very seriously to protect our seafood industries and our environment. Illegal fishing impacts on the sustainability of our fish stocks and the income of Australian fishers and can, of course, increase the risk of pest incursions. The government maintains a rigorous, ongoing surveillance and enforcement to preserve the integrity of our borders, including to deter illegal fishing. The Australian Border Protection Command has some 17—

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

Senator Chris Evans interjecting—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Debating across the chamber at this time is completely disorderly.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Evans. That is quite right; I do not get enough questions on these issues. Anyway, as I was saying, the Australian Border Protection Command has some 17 patrol vessels and other assets to respond to threats to Australia’s border security, including illegal foreign fishing. These patrol assets, including the Oceanic Viking, are deployed according to risk. The Oceanic Viking is currently undertaking a task approved in the May 2009 budget to conduct maritime patrols of Australia’s northern waters, directed towards people-smuggling activities, and details of this are included in the May 2009 budget. In fact, I am somewhat surprised that Senator Colbeck, if he bothered to read those May budget papers cover to cover, is not aware of this. In fact, it seems to me that he is asking a question when he very well knows—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is order, we will proceed.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like poaching flathead.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know about flathead; there are certainly plenty of muddled and mixed-up heads opposite on a range of issues—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sherry, just address the question.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the CPRS for one.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said ‘muddled and mixed up’. That is hardly a scintillating and hard-hitting critique. I do not think it is the worst I have heard in this Senate— (Time expired)

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have read the budget papers. I know exactly what is in them and I can tell you that it has been used up already. Your allocation is gone. You have spent this year’s allocation already. The 40 days have been used up already this year—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a question?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know what is going on—do not worry. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware that the Southern Ocean fishing season is about to begin, meaning illegal fish poachers will be making their plans knowing that the Oceanic Viking, Australia’s fishery patrol vessel for the Southern Ocean, is acting as a floating refugee centre thousands of kilometres away in Indonesia?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I have already indicated to Senator Colbeck, the broad parameters of the program are contained in the budget. Obviously, day-to-day or weekly placement of the Oceanic Vikingand any other of our vessels, for that matter—is a matter of operational priorities. The ACV Oceanic Viking is scheduled to conduct further patrols in the Southern Ocean in this current financial year. Details in relation—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not really know why senators are laughing; these are very serious matters. When we have a vessel—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Continue, Senator Sherry.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by the laughing members of the Liberal-National Party, it is a very serious matter when you have ocean-going vessels that are required to— (Time expired)

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can Senator Sherry advise the Senate what plans, if any, the government has made for the protection of our fisheries in the absence of the Oceanic Viking?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure that would be in the budget papers too.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Obviously the day-to-day and weekly operational features of any of the vessels that we have in our northern waters are not in the budget, Senator Abetz. What an absurd interjection. As if the budget papers include that level of detail. What I have indicated, in accordance with the May budget that was handed down, is the broad operational availability and not the day-to-day sailing schedules of vessels. How silly can the opposition get in asking for details like that? I think that the issues that Senator Colbeck has quite legitimately raised—issues of border security, including fishing security—do deserve a greater level of seriousness than the opposition, particularly Senator Abetz, have displayed— (Time expired)