Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister please advise the Senate about Australia's efforts to combat the trade in illegally harvested timber and timber products?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his question. It is a trade that benefits criminals and has very serious environmental and economic impacts. A World Bank report estimates that every two seconds an area the size of a football field is harvested by illegal loggers. If you use that estimate, by the time I finish answering this question 600,000 square metres of timber will be illegally logged. The World Bank report also makes it clear that large-scale illegal logging operations are carried out by sophisticated criminal networks, so to act to stop illegal logging is to act to stop organised crime. The illegal logging trade is a global problem, costing around $60 billion each year. It directly threatens timber jobs here at home and in other countries by undercutting the price of legally logged timber.

Knowing the facts about the evils of illegal logging, both sides of politics in the 2010 election campaign committed to combating it. There was bipartisan support to combat illegal logging. In fact, the coalition were on the record during the 2010 election campaign saying that illegal logging corrupts trade and leads to the destruction of the environment. The Gillard government has followed through on its commitment to take action against illegally logged timber, supporting the environment and supporting legal and sustainable forest jobs at home. The Gillard government has consulted with importers, processors, retailers, employees, unions and environmental groups, and we have continued to consult with our trading partners such as New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Canada to ensure that there is a system in place to combat illegally logged timber. Australia takes its international obligations seriously. At the Honolulu APEC leaders summit all leaders undertook to work to implement appropriate measures— (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank the minister for the answer and I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister also advise of any recent progress that demonstrates that the Gillard government's efforts are delivering real partnerships with trading partners on the serious issue of illegal logging?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his first supplementary question. Yesterday I had the opportunity of meeting with the New Zealand Associate Minister for Primary Industries, the Hon. Nathan Guy, to sign an arrangement to combat illegal logging and to promote sustainable forest management.

Australia and New Zealand share significant trade in timber products. In 2010-11 New Zealand was the largest export supplier of forest products to Australia, with trade of around $715 million. The memorandum of understanding will strengthen Australia's longstanding cooperation with New Zealand on forest product issues. Arrangements provide a framework for ongoing bilateral cooperation against the illegal logging trade and its impact on jobs, the economy and the environment.

It will build the capacity of government and industry to manage forests sustainably and to promote systems to verify the legality of timber and wood products in Australia, New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region. Together, through the cooperation between Australia and New Zealand— (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of any obstacles to improving international cooperation in pursuit of commitments made by all APEC leaders to cooperate to prohibit the trade in illegally harvested timber and timber products?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his second supplementary question.

Just like a house of cards in the breeze, the coalition's fear campaign is falling over on carbon price, on the economy, and now on illegal logging. The fear campaign is in a shambles because those opposite are, in fact, reduced to the husk of a party, with no policies, no promises for the nation and no plan. Taking action to crack down on illegal logging is good for the environment and good for Australian jobs as is, of course relying on legitimately harvested timber from our trading partners.

But right now, the Liberal-National party stands for illegal logging. That means it stands for criminal networks gaining wealth from the proceeds of crime. While this government is taking action, those opposite are opposed to combating illegal logging—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You might cry out in shame, because you should be ashamed: you will not support combating illegal logging— (Time expired)