Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The establishment of the Regional Forestry Agreements took great thought, effort and political will throughout the Hawke-Keating and Howard years. The people, our people, paid a great price to achieve consensus in order to have a sustainable timber industry across this nation. There are those who have found ways to circumvent the RFAs to the detriment of regional communities and the Australian people. To close down our industry and import timber products abrogates our national responsibility in two ways: (1) we exploit other nations which do not have the environmental safeguards we do in timber, and (2) we fail as a nation to become self-sufficient in managing this essential product. Has COVID taught us nothing about self-sufficiency? This is simple but not easy. It will take brave, intelligent leaders to examine the issue honestly and in detail without regard for political consequences. May common sense prevail. This is an issue of national survival, not ideological warfare.