Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion, Mr Speaker. I am pleased to stand here today to welcome the Fisheries Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fishing Offences) Bill 2006. This bill, belatedly introduced by the government, represents a very mild step but I welcome it and will recommend it in the right direction. I also happily endorse the amendment moved by the member for Corio and all the remarks that he has just put on the record.

This is the fourth time this year that I have risen in this parliament to speak on illegal fishing, which is quite extraordinary given that I come from a metropolitan Melbourne seat. Nevertheless, late last year the Labor caucus determined that this government was neglecting serious issues of grave concern, one of them being transport and maritime security. This government is ignoring homeland security. They have neglected it wilfully—and I mean that. They have sent our troops to fight in a meaningless war off our shores while neglecting the situation here. They are neglecting to protect our own borders. This has become most alarmingly evident in this area of illegal fishing but the bill before us today, whilst finally a step in the right direction, recognising that there is a serious issue out there, does not go near enough to resolving this enormous problem. The other indication that the government is wilfully neglecting our borders is the situation currently unfolding in Timor. We are rapidly not having enough troops to deploy in our own region. This is going to be a crisis situation. I have just heard of an individual who is just back from three months in Iraq but has been told that he is off to Timor any day now because they simply do not have the troops on the ground to protect our borders and our homeland security.

Whilst I will allow the new Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation some excuse as he has only recently taken over the portfolio from the poor, hapless Senator Ian Macdonald, who was hounded from his portfolio by numerous individuals, I will not allow Senator Abetz to get away with having spoken only twice on an issue of grave concern to this country, an issue of such importance to our northern waters that the people up north are absolutely bleating. You only need to pick up the West Australian newspaper on any day of the week to see that illegal fishing is their No. 1 issue. You only need to pick up the Northern Territory newspaper to see that illegal fishing is their No. 1 issue. Then you go to the top of Queensland and again illegal fishing is the No. 1 issue. And what have we had in this place today? One government member speaking on this bill!

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