Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer the minister to the overnight decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, rejecting the government's proposal to delist 74,000 hectares of the Tasmanian World Heritage area. Can the minister confirm that the government's justifications were described as 'feeble'—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By who?

Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Portugal. And that, if successful, Australia would have become the third country after Oman and Tanzania to delist one of its own natural World Heritage areas in the past 40 years.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party seem to be revelling in a decision that was taken overnight, in another part of the world, determining what will happen in Senator Thorp's home state and my home state of Tasmania. It is a matter on which her party was absolutely decimated not once but twice—once at the federal election on 7 September and then later on in March this year.

So I would simply remind Senator Thorp that, as she leaves this place, she might like to reflect on the reason why she is leaving this place: that the Australian Labor Party—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! On my left. Wait a minute, Senator Thorp; you are entitled to be heard in silence.

Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order: on relevance. My question was that, given the government's submission was described as 'feeble,' would the minister confirm that?

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

There is no point of order at this stage. The minister still has one minute 16 seconds remaining. I am listening closely to the minister's response.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was indicating to the honourable senator, the Australian Labor Party misread the constituency in Tasmania not once but twice. The Australian people and the Tasmanian people will be able to make their own determination whether it is feeble to claim that a network of roads, a network of high-transmission lines—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! If you wish to debate it, the time is after the end of question time. You are entitled to be heard in silence, Senator Abetz.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the Australian people will come to their own conclusion that it is somewhat feeble to claim World Heritage protection for a network of roads, disused quarries, a network of high-voltage lines, pine plantations, eucalypt plantations et cetera. I understand that one person from Portugal used the term that the honourable senator referred to. But can I say that the responses in the Tasmanian ballot boxes were not feeble in any way, shape or form. Having said all that, unlike the Greens and Labor, we do abide by the determinations that are made.

Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to comments by the Prime Minister this morning, who said:

We will be carefully looking at the decision and deciding what’s best now …

I also refer to comments by parliamentary secretary, Senator Colbeck, who said, 'We're accepting this decision.'

Who is right? The Prime Minister or Senator Colbeck?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is always very rigorous and robust and Senator Colbeck is always very rigorous and robust—there is no inconsistency in the statements made by either the Prime Minster or my very distinguished colleague Senator Colbeck.

Lin Thorp (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I wish to ask a second supplementary question. Why did the government present a case not supported by the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, not supported by scientific evidence, but simply supported by Senator Colbeck's holiday snapshots?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I know who will be enjoying holidays very shortly. Having said that, can I indicate that the forest industry—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, are you ever going to protect me from the threat of industrial deafness caused by Senator Wong?

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

Order, Senator Abetz! You have been very well protected over time. There will be order on my right and on my left.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those of us on this side firmly believe that two interest groups stitching up a deal behind closed doors is not necessarily indicative of the national or state interest being served. I am on record as indicating that I disagree with the Forest Industries Association on this, and I make no apologies for saying so. I believe they have sold out the long-term interests of their industry and their state. That is my personal view—I have said it and I will continue to repeat it.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz, and refers to the World Heritage Committee decision last night, which described Australia's bid as feeble and an unacceptable precedent. Does the government now commit to unreservedly accepting the World Heritage Committee decision and reject any proposal for logging of any kind in the area, and will it rule out any new bid to reduce the boundaries?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will accept this decision as unreservedly as the Greens and the green groups accept the decisions of court cases. The Leader of the Australian Greens might like to reflect on that—like when her former leader, Senator Brown, lost the Federal Court appeal in relation to Wielangta. I remember the hissy fit—

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance. Senator Abetz is attempting to distract from his embarrassment with irrelevant information.

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

There is no point of order at this stage.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I was seeking to point out to the Australian Greens that we might adopt their approach of accepting these sorts of decisions and determinations. Of course if we were to accept the Greens approach on this, we would be holding demonstrations and doing all sorts of things in contradiction of the decision that has been made. Having not read every single word of the decision, I am not prepared at this stage to say that we unreservedly accept everything in it—but we are responsible world citizens and we will acknowledge and accept the decision and abide by it. However, one can still be critical of the decision as not necessarily reflecting all the objective evidence, the overwhelming majority of which relates to areas of pine plantations, eucalypt plantations, roads, electricity grid wires and old quarries—apparently, now, all somehow World Heritage. That is the determination that has been made, and so be it. Unlike the Australian Greens, we will respect the arbiter in this matter, and that is the big product differentiation between the Australian Greens and this government.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the government now commit to funding a cultural assessment of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area involving the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, as requested by the World Heritage Committee? How much money will the government commit to that cultural assessment?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I recall correctly, there has already been an announcement by the Minister for the Environment and my good friend and colleague Senator Colbeck in relation to that. I understand that that the commitment is to do so. The amount of money that will be committed to that is still to be determined.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the Australian government was advised early on that the bid was doomed to fail but the government proceeded to embarrass Australia in this way to satisfy ill-considered election promises made by Tasmanian Liberal Party senators?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So ill-considered were these Liberal Party promises that the Liberal Party won 60 per cent of the House of Representatives seats and won one of the biggest majorities ever that saw Senator Milne's own party lose 40 per cent of its representation in the state parliament. I am one of these old-fashioned people who believe in the ballot box, in people having a say about their own bit of land and in having these decisions made locally rather than having an international body overseas determining our future. That seems to be the way of the world these days. As I have said, we accept the decision.