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 Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Payne) to a question without notice asked by Senator Whish-Wilson today relating to whaling operations in the Southern Ocean.

Next week in Papua New Guinea APEC is meeting. On the way to the APEC meeting, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has been invited to come to Australia. I understand he'll be in Darwin on Friday and he will be having a meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Scott Morrison, and other dignitaries. It has been reported that he will be visiting bombing sites from World War II and possibly a war memorial to Australians who perished from Japanese bombings. Once again, this has been reported as an opportunity for two friends to develop closer bonds and, of course, for discussions around regional cooperation, regional security arrangements and defence ties. It will start in Darwin and will continue through to APEC.

I want to make it very clear that this week—three weeks early—the Japanese whaling fleet has departed for the Southern Ocean to kill 333 minke whales. It's three weeks early. I've been monitoring the Japanese whaling fleet for many years. Is it a coincidence that it's left in the same week as their Prime Minister is coming to Australia, seemingly for a PR opportunity—a photo shoot—talking about what great friends we are with Japan? Last January, the Prime Minister at the time, Mr Malcolm Turnbull, also flew to Japan and had a photo shoot with Mr Shinzo Abe. They also discussed regional security initiatives, regional ties and both economic and defence cooperation when he was in Tokyo. Not 24 hours after he left Tokyo, the Japanese government put out an announcement that they were going to aggressively expand their whaling fleet.

I know from speaking to a reporter in Japan that comment was sought from environment groups in mid-December 2016 about that expansion, but the Japanese government sat on that announcement until 24 hours after Mr Turnbull left. Why are we rolling out the red carpet for the Japanese Prime Minister for a friendship visit to Australia in the same week that they are sending their whaling fleet to the Southern Ocean? This is an issue of critical importance to Australians. They care deeply about whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Respective governments have taken action through the International Court of Justice and through the International Whaling Commission. Respective governments, including the Liberal government, have run election policies that they would send a Customs vessel or a naval vessel to mirror the Japanese fleet while they went down into the Southern Ocean, to let them know that Australians were watching them and that they weren't happy. So why are we presenting this opportunity to the Japanese government for a photo shoot and some PR spin? Will the Prime Minister make this issue one that he raises directly with the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe?

I'm getting sick and tired of coming in here every year and talking about the Japanese fleet going to the Southern Ocean, banging on about how unhappy Australians are and calling on the government to take some action when nothing ever happens. I think I speak on behalf of the majority of Australians when I say this: we don't want the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean this summer. We don't want them to go back. We don't want them to expand commercial whaling rapidly, which is what they're trying to do through the International Whaling Commission.

Just a month ago, the Japanese government led a massive push. Senator Ruston, who is in the chamber now, was there representing Australia. It was a massive push to resume commercial whaling. Now, while that was defeated, they did say that they were disappointed and that they were considering their options. That did significant reputational damage to Japan. The whole world watched on in disgust as they tried to push for a resumption of full commercial whaling. Why are we giving them a chance to adjust that reputational damage this Friday in Darwin without at least our Prime Minister and our foreign minister making a statement about the whaling fleet leaving last night, disappointingly, for yet another summer of slaughter in the Southern Ocean?

Mr Greg Hunt once said in this place to the previous Labor environment minister, Mr Peter Garrett, 'Labor have a blind eye in Canberra and we have blood in the Southern Ocean.' What has the Liberal Party done about whaling in the five years that they've been in government? Absolutely nothing! They broke their election promise; they never sent a Customs vessel. This is an opportunity for them to send a message to Japan, both on Friday in Darwin, to let them know very clearly that Australians think this is unacceptable, and to send a Customs vessel this summer to monitor the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet.

Question agreed to.