Ben Small (Forrest, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Electoral Matters) Share this | Hansard source

I woke up almost like I was in an alternate universe reading this motion, because, frankly, the hypocrisy of Labor MPs who crow about agricultural fisheries and forestry exports reaching a high of some $85 billion in this financial year comes as a complete shock to the fishermen in my part of the world, in the south-west of WA, who have had their businesses cut from underneath them by the decisions of the Labor government there. They crow that this is recognising a significant milestone achieved with hard work, resilience and skill of Australia's primary producers—the same primary producers and indeed the same fishermen that have had their businesses lawfully cut from under them by the Labor government.

To listen to a Labor MP just quote 'global success requires domestic support' will come as an absolute slap in the face to the Bunbury fishermen who, like I say, have had their licences cancelled with less than one month's notice, just before Christmas, because we hear in this motion moved by the Labor Party that there is more demand than ever for Aussie produce. So, if that's the case, why are they standing by and allowing their state counterparts to impose this destructive and reckless demersal fishing ban? They talk about exports, but I want to talk about the result, and that's imports.

Australians love to support Australian businesses. Aussies love to eat locally grown or locally caught produce. The reality is that the WA demersal fishery produces some 400 tonnes of fish each year across both the recreational and commercial sectors. But, thanks to Labor, that figure will be less than half this year. Aussies will be eating God knows what caught God knows where, because the reality is that the supply gap will be filled with imported produce, and we can tell you exactly where that's coming from. It's coming from less sustainable and less ethical fisheries across Asia. Last year, Australia imported 211,000 tonnes of seafood from Asia. That accounted for more than 70 per cent of the seafood consumed in this country. It came from elsewhere, and yet Labor have got the gall to come in here crowing about their support for the global success of Australia's primary producers.

It is shameful, and I won't stand for it. If you look at Vietnam as just one example, the degree of fish extraction per square kilometre of fishery controlled waters means that Vietnam fishes at a concentration some 23 times higher than the WA demersal fishery, and yet this government's looking West Australians in the eye and claiming that the fishery is unsustainable. Just 33 days after the Commonwealth signed off on the fishery as being sustainable and in fact meeting global standards for sustainability, the state government knocked these businesses out at the crease. It's another example of a government obsessed with its image rather than the reality experienced by locals.

Last month, hundreds of angry locals rallied together to support our local fishing industry and to cry out for a fair go for our recreational anglers. Where was the state member for Bunbury? He was having dinner in Perth. If you've got a job title like Minister for the South West, it's time you got out from under the doona, Don, and did your job: standing up for the people of the south-west who have been hit with this unfair and unexplained fishing ban. It is frankly disgraceful that he's got plenty of time to turn up for photo opportunities, but, when it comes to listening to locals who have been impacted by a decision of his government—a Labor government—he's nowhere to be seen.

Every day, this ban is having a detrimental impact on my community. Last week, I visited a fish and chip shop owner who's proud to source his produce locally, prepare it locally and sell it to locals. The reality is that prices are going to escalate for him, and the supply will have to come from elsewhere. Local people who enjoy eating local seafood are now, as a result of the Labor government, going to be eating God knows what caught God knows where. To come in here and listen to the hypocrisy of a Labor government that's crowing about its support for Australia's primary industries—it's shameful.

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