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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the Japanese Government's announcement that it plans to resume hunting whales in the Southern Ocean in 2015; and

(b) calls on:

(i) the Prime Minister (Mr Abbott) to directly raise with the Japanese Prime Minister (Mr Shinzō Abe) Australia's objection to Japan's plan to resume hunting in the Southern Ocean, and

(ii) the Australian Government to utilise international fora to stop the Japanese resuming hunting in the Southern Ocean.

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

This motion is fairly straight forward. It calls on support from all members of parliament in the Senate to ask our Prime Minister and the government to put diplomatic pressure on the Japanese, who have just announced JARPA III—another attempt to go down and harpoon whales in the Southern Ocean.

Illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean is opposed by over 90 per cent of Australians. I would point out for Senator Macdonald's benefit that those 90-plus per cent of Australians also support Sea Shepherd, who go down every Christmas and put themselves in harm's way to prevent the death of thousands of whales. You have just maliciously, wilfully and dishonestly misled this Senate chamber about them and have attacked them. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Let every Australian know that the Liberal Party have attacked Sea Shepherd today and the good work they do on behalf of the—

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Whish-Wilson, resume your seat.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Leave was granted to make a brief statement in regard to this motion. Then we had a hysterical rant from Senator Whish-Wilson which was completely unrelated. I think you should call him to order. Otherwise, it will become an inappropriate forum for us to grant leave for these sorts of things.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is not a point of order. The chamber did in fact grant leave and Senator Whish-Wilson had leave. You have a couple of seconds left.

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

Two seconds left and we have obviously hit a raw nerve if Senator Bernardi has to act like an idiot.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Australia's position on this issue is well known. We remain opposed to all forms of commercial whaling and believe that all information necessary for the contemporary conservation and management of whales can be obtained using nonlethal methods. While the government appropriately advances this issue in a mature way through diplomatic channels, the Greens continue to play cheap politics to their usual fan base. Australia is an active participant in the IWC, which is the proper forum to address issues related to whaling. Australia and Japan have both stated they respect the International Court of Justice decision on whaling and Australia is working to implement the outcomes of this decision through the IWC.

Prime Minister Abbott has already stated publicly that friends can disagree on subjects without compromising their friendship. The friendship between Australia and Japan is bigger than our disagreement on whaling. Australia remains a strong advocate of the global moratorium on whaling and, along with other like-minded nations, the Australian government will analyse closely Japan's latest proposal through the scientific committee of the IWC.

Question agreed to.