Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note the minister chose not to answer the part of the question that went to whether Japan would slaughter more whales this year than ever before, and I invite him to address that part of the question. I would also like the minister to explain why none of the Pacific nations he visited prior to the 2006 meeting joined with Australia in voting against Japan last week. Doesn’t this demonstrate that the minister’s overblown rhetoric and abuse of opponents has proven to be a diplomatic disaster in our own region?