Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to put a few comments on the public record tonight in relation to the dishonesty that was presented to this chamber in relation to the salmon industry and Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania. I say 'dishonesty' because the Prime Minister of this country did, in fact, write to the Premier of Tasmania. Yes, that part of the accusation that Senator Duniam made in this chamber was correct—the letter was sent yesterday—but what he said was that there was an offer of compensation in that correspondence. There is nothing further from the truth. The dishonesty absolutely astounds me.

I know there's desperation from the Liberals because the Tasmanian government is in trouble. It's falling apart. The wheels are falling off that rickety, old wagon that's been there 10 years too long. But the dishonesty is what disappoints me. I would have expected much better from my colleague, because I thought that there wasn't a Tasmanian senator from either the Liberal Party or—and I certainly know this—the Labor party that did not strongly support the salmon industry in Tasmania. We should be on the same ticket. We both share our concerns about the Greens and their position in relation to the salmon industry.

What is really disappointing is that, when the Prime Minister of this country writes to the Premier of Tasmania, it is twisted, used and misrepresented in the way it was in this chamber here today and in the local media. The Prime Minister outlined what this government is doing in support of regional areas, what we are doing in relation to housing and what we're doing about the Future Fund. That's what he wrote to the Premier about. But to have it turned around, and to be so blatantly dishonest, saying that the Prime Minister offered compensation and saying that we as a government, and as Labor senators, were not supporting the 400-plus jobs in the salmon industry—that is an outright lie. It is dishonest and it disappoints me. It really disappoints me that those assertions were made.

We are coming into the festive season. The thing that the salmon industry workers need is the support of the Australian government, the Liberal Party in Tasmania and the Liberal senators. But to cause undue stress and to make assertions that those jobs are at risk—there could be nothing further from the truth. The good senator knows that very well.

I know there is an election looming in Tasmania. The minority Liberal government—the wheels, as I said, are falling off—had desertions from two of their members. But that those in this chamber would use a piece of correspondence to the extent that he has—to be so dishonest—is so very disappointing.

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

Senator Polley, please resume your seat. Senator Duniam.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that Senator Polley cease and desist from these reflections upon me and others around dishonesty. It's not accurate.

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

That's not a point of order.

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I love it when they interject and make points of order when they know that there is no real point of order. The message I am trying to get across to those on that side is that, if you really care about the salmon industry, if you really do care about the women and men that work in that sector, you would be standing shoulder to shoulder with Labor senators and members of this government to ensure the prosperity of that industry going forward. That's what you would be doing. You would not be coming into this chamber, or going through the media or anywhere else, making unfounded allegations and accusing us of not supporting that industry, and misrepresenting the letter from the Prime Minister to the Tasmanian Premier. One would have to ask: is this part of the strategy? Is the Premier also on the same ticket as my colleague in this chamber? Is he is prepared to misrepresent the truth and the intention of that correspondence? It's so bitterly disappointing.

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

Senator Polley, while did you not use a personal reflection, the Deputy Speaker and I are trying to eradicate the word 'lie'. So if you could think about another word that would be good.