Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (Senator Cash) to a question without notice asked by Senator Whish-Wilson today relating to efforts to prevent illegal whaling.

I certainly hope that Senator Cash's non-answer to my question today is not an indication that we are looking at another election promise broken or another backflip.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

If it is the case it would give me no pleasure at all, Senator Abetz, I can tell you. We have a lot in common with the coalition on the issue of whaling, certainly in terms of recent comments made by the coalition about whaling. I wanted to run through a couple of those comments, especially from Minister Hunt—and I notice that Senator Abetz has also raised this issue in previous estimates—about the importance of sending a Customs vessel to monitor whaling activity in the Southern Ocean.

The Japanese whaling fleet is currently undergoing sea trials in Japan. The New Zealand Southern Ocean patrol boat departed for duty to the Southern Ocean several days ago. The Ocean Protector, as I mentioned earlier in question time, is off Christmas Island. Dating back to 2008, the present minister Mr Hunt indicated that Sea Shepherd was doing the government's job and blamed the previous Labor government for the Southern Ocean conflict. Where is the Oceanic Viking, the previous Customs boat? It was promised weeks and weeks ago. Because it is not there, Greenpeace and Sea Shepherdhave had to do the government's work and that, in part, has contributed to this conflict.

On 16 February this year the now Minister Hunt said blood in the water was unacceptable to Australians. He said:

Reports of the slaughter of whales in Australian waters are deeply disturbing. The Government must make a statement immediately, have whales been slaughtered in Australian waters, if so what are they going to do about it. We’ve got blood in the water and a blind eye in Canberra, it’s completely unacceptable.

These are Australian waters that should be protected. Whaling should never be occurring but for it to occur in Australian waters is an utter failure in Canberra.

On 25 February 2013 Mr Hunt indicated that the coalition would make defending Australia's Southern Ocean interests an election issue, promising to restore regular boats and also to deploy a Customs vessel to monitor Japanese whaling. On 23 August 2013, the coalition made an election promise to send a Customs vessel to the Southern Ocean.

Should the whaling season continue, the Coalition commits to sending a Customs vessel to the Southern Ocean. It is important that Australia has a Southern Ocean presence given the ongoing risk of confrontation between whalers and protestors.

That is certainly something that I spoke about to the Sea Shepherdcrew last weekend when I visited the Bob Barker in Hobart. It is a significant area of concern to the Sea Shepherdcrew who go down and do the government's job for them. Lastly, this weekend Greg Hunt's office issued a statement on the election commitment. A spokesman for the environment minister Greg Hunt said he remains committed to monitoring and observing the Japanese fleet.

We would agree with all of these comments made by Minister Hunt relating to the previous whaling activities in the Southern Ocean. It was clear today in question time that we have a minister who refuses to match Minister Hunt's commitment to sending a Customs vessel, the Ocean Protector,down to the Southern Ocean, which is exactly what it was designed for. It is an Antarctic vessel, purpose built for patrolling our waters in the Southern Ocean.

The Japanese fleets are very close to leaving. Australians have watched the whales frolicking off our coastline for the last three or four months as they have headed south, swimming and surfing. These whales breed in Australian waters and they calve down in the Southern Ocean in an international whale sanctuary. Yet the Japanese whaling fleet illegally—and it has been deemed illegal by the Australian government, and I hope it will be by the International Court of Justice—continue to poach whales. This activity has got to stop. The great majority of Australians do not support this illegal whaling and they want to see our government take action. This is certainly something that we would be very pleased to see.

I genuinely hope that Senator Cash's response today is not an indication of a broken election promise or a backflip on a very important issue. Given what has happened this week with Gonski, I do not think that would be a particularly good look for the coalition. More importantly, it will not be good for the whales in the Southern Ocean. This is an issue that many coalition senators feel strongly about, as I do. Please, send the vessels south to do a good job. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.