Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Of course I shall. It is an extraordinarily serious matter, which I brought to the attention of the Senate because it is of national significance. The problem here—and let me get right to the chase—is that the government did not want clause (e), which reads:

... the Senate ... asks the Commonwealth to take all due action to uphold the Burra Charter—

the international charter for the protection of cultural sites, and:

... to bring those responsible for this outrage to justice and to prevent any recurrence of such destructive behaviour against Australia’s heritage.

The office of the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, contacted me a number of times this morning to ask me not to persist with that clause. This national government felt that its responsibility for protecting extremely important, world heritage value Aboriginal art sites should not be expressed in the Senate. Yet the minister got a pair this afternoon and was away when this vote was taken.