Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tasmanian salmon workers are continuing to live with the threat hanging over their heads of the Albanese Labor government killing off the very industry that employs them. This is a threat to the livelihoods of thousands of Tasmanians and their families, which was 100 per cent created by the actions of this Labor government. It is an insult to those families that members of the Albanese government are preposterously claiming to be champions of the salmon industry.

Senator Urquhart, who sits in this chamber, likes to tell the people of Braddon that she is a champion of the salmon industry, but the reality is that Senator Urquhart and her other Tasmanian colleagues have sat by and allowed the Albanese cabinet to make decisions which will see thousands of jobs destroyed in the electorate of Braddon. She continues to back the decisions of the environment minister, Ms Plibersek, to appease inner-city green activists, not the people of Tasmania. She supports the Prime Minister, who is too weak to stand up to the Greens.

In contrast, our Liberal candidate for Braddon, Mal Hingston, is an incredible supporter of salmon workers, and salmon workers know that they have a champion in Mal, who has made a clear commitment to the future of the industry, as have my Liberal colleagues. Mal Hingston is the only candidate for Braddon who will step up and protect salmon workers and families, who rely on their income from jobs in this vital Tasmanian industry. In contrast, we all know that, after the election, Labor will get together with the Greens and shut down this vital industry, just as they have done for so many industries before.

In the last 24 hours, we have finally seen Labor's candidate for Lyons stop double dipping and running a federal campaign while being paid by Tasmanian taxpayers. I think it is time for Senator Urquhart, who has failed to stand up for Tasmanian salmon workers, to belatedly do the right thing and resign from this chamber, rather than be paid as a senator to campaign for the lower house.