Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Watt. The Labour Environment Action Network has released a paper that explicitly calls on Labor to end native forest logging. This call has been backed by over 300 Labor branches. To date, the Labor cabinet has ignored scientists, environmentalists and community members to side with the logging industry. Are you also planning to ignore your own party members to enable this continued environmental vandalism?

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

Thank you, Senator Rice for the question. I'm always happy to take a question on agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and today we've had two such questions from the Labor Party and one from the Greens party but none from the National Party. The National Party has given up on agriculture. Is it any wonder?

Senator Rice, this is obviously an issue that you've asked me about on a number of occasions. I will continue to make the same response, which is that the Albanese government supports Australia's sustainable forestry industry. It's good that you are showing a lot of interest in the internal workings of the Labor Party. We will have our national conference next week and we will discuss a range of matters, including this one. We will no doubt come to a resolution on that.

As I say, the Albanese government's support for our sustainable forestry industry is very clear and has been backed up by over $300 million in investment in our forestry industry since coming to power. The measures that we have funded include modernising timber manufacturing, encouraging innovation, building workforce skills in the forestry industry and removing the water rule, something that the National Party imposed. The water rule actually prevented the plantation of timber and created a disincentive for the plantation of timber. We're also investing over $70 million in the plantation estate. Again, that's something we didn't see under the former government.

The reality is that, in order for Australia to meet its timber and wood product needs, we need a mixture of plantation and native forestry; that might be an inconvenient fact for the Greens party but it is a fact. What we're doing is making sure that, as the proportion of native forestry reduces, we are actively supporting the plantation industry in a way we've never seen before.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call Senator Rice: Senator McKim—I think it's you but it's a bit hard to tell with the mask on—the constant interjections are disorderly. My apologies if it isn't you but I'm fairly certain it is. Senator Rice, first supplementary?

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So the answer is: yes, you are going to ignore your Labor Party members and branches. Minister, do you agree with the statement in the LEAN paper that:

… to protect remaining native forests and regenerating forest is essential to achieve Labor's commitment to action on climate change …

and would help achieve Australia's 2030 emissions reduction target?

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

Thank you again, Senator Rice. Again, I deeply welcome the Greens party's interest in the internal machinations of the Labor Party.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They can watch it on TV!

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

Yes, you can watch it on TV! Unlike a certain party that named after a colour, the Labor Party has an open national conference. Anyone is welcome to come and watch, anyone is welcome to turn on their TV and watch. It's something the Greens could actually learn from. We hear a lot from the Greens about transparency and the need for accountability, but we've got a party named after a colour that prefers to have its little conferences in quiet corners in the dark. I'll let you work out what colour that might be!

As I say, the Labor Party and the Albanese government are very supportive of our forestry industry because of the timber and wood that it produces—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice?

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is with regard to relevance. Could you bring the minister's attention to the question, which was whether he agreed with the statement in the LEAN paper that protecting native forests and regenerating forests is essential to meeting our climate targets.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Rice. You also went to the Labor Party again, so the minister is entitled to answer that part of your question. But I will remind him of the second part of your question.

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

As I say, I welcome a contribution from any section of the community, to put forward its views about forestry or any other issue. But, of course, it's the Albanese government that will be setting government policy, and our policy is to support a sustainable forestry industry backed up by the investments I've talked about. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rice, second supplementary?

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the Western Australian and Victorian Labor governments are ending native forest logging and are going to reap the benefits of protecting biodiversity, and it will help them meet their carbon reduction targets. Will you show leadership, scrap the regional forest agreements and encourage the New South Wales and Tasmanian governments to follow the lead of the Western Australian and Victorian governments?

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

Thank you, Senator Rice. In the three questions I've received from Senator Rice we've had a discussion about Labor Party internal machinations and the activities of state governments. I repeat my statement that the Albanese government supports a sustainable forestry industry that includes plantation developments which are expanding on our watch, as opposed to falling under the coalition government. We recognise there is a need and a place for native forestry in terms of our timber mix. I'm not sure where the Greens propose we would obtain some of those timber and wood products from if their position was to be adopted. We are serious about supporting plantation development, and that's why we're investing over $70 million in new plantation development. It's why we're in the process of removing the water rule—something introduced by the National Party at the expense of the plantation industry. (Time expired)