Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wills for the supplementary because it is so important to be able to get the scientific information right on this and to fill those knowledge gaps. It is not only the government and this parliament that have this view. When this issue was put before the Tasmanian parliament as to whether or not there was enough scientific information, every member of the Tasmanian parliament voted unanimously that the work had not yet been done for this trawler to commence operations. On the weekend the Victorian National Party minister, Peter Walsh, said that they would put a 12-month ban in place, the draft notice would ban large mid-water trawlers from operating in waters within three nautical miles of the Victorian coastline which fall under Victorian jurisdiction.

The Liberals in Tasmania know, the Liberals in Victoria know, but those opposite, when it comes to a choice between staying with recreational fishing or perhaps being on the conservation side of an issue, would rather desert every recreational angler in the country, desert them completely, because they could not bear to be on the side of conservation, even on an issue as important as this.

Mr Tehan interjecting—

See this speech in context