Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I know there may be several amendments and one statement. All week I have been raising a very simple point: we either believe the science and the processes by which that advice makes its way to government or we do not. All week it has seemed that the response from government was that there was no problem with the processes, the science and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority—that is, until question time today. For me the response from the minister that there were some problems with the processes was significant. The second thing that I report to the House is that today, finally, we have got the terms of reference for a root and branch inquiry into the Fisheries Management Act. In progressing this issue through the House this week three things have occurred. First, we now have in question the issue of quota management and sustainable fisheries. I accept the advice from the government that there are doubts about how quotas are formed and how the science is formed.

Secondly, there will be a short time line for a review of the Fisheries Management Act. That will have a status that it should have had already. The ministers have been saying that the Fisheries Management Act does not deliver, that they are getting poor advice and that the science is not allowing them to do their job. I accept now that the Fisheries Management Act will be gone through root and branch, that this inquiry will matter and will have a short time frame and that we can expect a new fisheries management act, preferably this year.

The third part is that the powers that have been given to the minister today will not last. The legislation will include a sunset clause when it is passed today. I have had great concerns about the unintended consequences there would have been, with two ministers having full discretion over social, economic and environmental concerns at the end of the process. We either beef up the process and make it matter and give the minister for fisheries those powers or we do not. I am pleased that we are now going to tidy up the science and make it and the process matter so that in the future we do have happen weeks like the one we have had this week.

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