Dr WOODRUFF question to MINISTER for BUSINESS, INDUSTRY and RESOURCES, Mr ABETZ
Minister, the ancient Maugean skate is close to extinction, driven there by industrial-scale salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour. Tasmanians who love the beauty and health of our marine environment have for years tried to raise the alarm. Your government’s continued refusal to regulate salmon farming to protect nature leaves them no option. Community group Neighbours of Fish Farming have launched a mainland consumer information campaign starting in Melbourne. Commuters and shoppers are greeted with massive billboard messages outside Flinders Street Station and on major freeways in and out of the city. The message is clear – if you love Tassie, do not eat farmed salmon.
Mr Winter – Shame.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Order. While ‘shame’ is appropriate, I do need to hear the question.
Dr WOODRUFF – Every bite you take is destroying our marine life and waterways. Will you admit your blinkered, pro-industry, anti-environment policy is the cause of this market campaign against Tasmanian salmon, and do you really think a species’ extinction will help our state’s clean green brand?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, this campaign that is disgracefully being run on the mainland is designed for one purpose only, and that is to raise funds for the Bob Brown Foundation and other organisations like it, peddling misinformation in the hope that well-minded individuals on the mainland will give money to organisations that then help fund the Greens at election time. Let us make no mistake about that.
Dr WOODRUFF – Point of order, Speaker, under 45. The question was about Neighbours of Fish Farming. I am not sure where the minister is going with this, but can I draw his attention to the question, please?
The SPEAKER – The minister has been answering for around 30 seconds, but I will draw him to the question and I am sure he will attend to it.
Mr ABETZ – There was a whole host of issues in the question and I am seeking to deal with them in a methodical manner.
The advertisements paid for, one assumes, by people with a bit of excess money, who do not rely on jobs in the productive sectors, and are engaging in propaganda, not information. Let us be very clear on that. As for the Greens, is their want. When they cannot win the argument in Tasmania with their fellow Tasmanians, they go over to the mainland to try to foist their view of the world on us Tasmanians through Canberra, and that is what we are seeing at the moment with Minister Plibersek and Macquarie Harbour.
Let us make no mistake in relation to the Maugean skate that is in Macquarie Harbour. We have a fantastic pre-breeding program that is going exceptionally well, and might I add, without any industrial fish farming, so I do not know why ‘industrial’ has to be put into that terminology, but that is the terminology used by the Greens.
Without any fish farming, the skate unfortunately no longer exists in Bathurst Harbour. I wonder why?
Dr Woodruff – Irrelevant. It was never there.
Mr ABETZ – It is those sorts of things that need to be put into the debate and which the Greens steadfastly refuse to acknowledge. Fisherman and people around the area who know about Bathurst Harbour know that the Maugean skate did exist there –
Mr Ellis – That’s right, it used to be called the Port Davey skate.
The SPEAKER – Thank you, Minister Ellis.
Mr ABETZ – It no longer exists there, but that has nothing to do with fish farming because there was no fish farming in the area. How do the Greens explain the disappearance of the Maugean skate out of Bathurst Harbour? That is an inconvenient truth that goes against the dishonest fundraising campaigns they run on the mainland.
The SPEAKER – The minister’s time has expired.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker.
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question from the Leader of the Greens.
Dr WOODRUFF – The minister did not go close to answering the question.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Members, I need to hear the supplementary. Thank you.
Dr WOODRUFF – Do you think a species extension will be good for our clean green state brand?
The SPEAKER – I will draw the member to the question, but before we start the clock, I will remind members that standing orders 44 and 45 say that we should not have debate and argument. Both questions and answers have been having those. It is a form of the House to allow it to a certain extent, but I will draw the member to that part of the question now.
Mr ABETZ – Any extinction of any animal is to be regretted and that extends to Maugean skates, or animals – possibly there is another term for them – but unfortunately, they went extinct in Bathurst Harbour.
Dr Woodruff – – Whoops, another one has gone. Oh dear. What a pity.
Mr ABETZ – They also went extinct in Bathurst Harbour and we do not know why.
Mr Bayley – Have you asked? Scientists are very clear on that, minister.
Mr ABETZ – Why are you seeking to pin one activity, namely salmon farming, on the disappearance of the Maugean Skate in Macquarie Harbour, when clearly salmon farming could not have been the reason for its disappearance in Bathurst Harbour? Think logically.
Dr Woodruff – The ultimate anti‑science minister.
The SPEAKER – Order, Leader of the Greens and the Deputy Premier.
Mr ABETZ – Apply a bit of common sense. Get rid of your ideology and desire to raise money on unfounded grounds and you might take a more acceptable stance on this, especially for the men and women of the west coast who rely on fish farming for their livelihood.
The SPEAKER – The minister’s time has expired. Leader of the Opposition, before you ask your question – we have managed to get to the last question, I believe, of the first four weeks without me evicting anyone. Can we hold on to that, please?
