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

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. The minister did not answer the question about how many millions of dollars of Australian taxpayers’ money have gone into the establishment of those pine plantations that are now being denied to Auspine. In view of that taxpayer investment, will the minister move to again establish an independent review of the denial of the logs to Auspine, with the terrible consequent results for the Scottsdale mill and community? Can the minister comment on press speculation that it was Auspine’s offer to Prime Minister Howard for an alternative to old-growth logging which brought out an angry reply from Gunns Ltd and old-growth logging entities in Tasmania which is now, through punishment, leading to the denial of the logs to the Auspine mill?