Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

Yes. I always do, I am sure you will acknowledge, Mr President. Senator Bob Brown will need to acknowledge that his colleague Senator Milne co-signed with Peg Putt, the leader of the Greens in Tasmania, a submission to the RPDC asserting that the icecaps in New Zealand would melt if the Tasmanian pulp mill were built. That is true; that is the fact. And do you know what, Mr President? They have six pulp mills in New Zealand, the icecaps are still there and they still have a burgeoning skiing industry. I say to those who listen to the Australian Greens: be very careful of seductive language because, while it might sound good on the surface, it is in fact counter to the interests of the environment because, if we do not use a renewable resource that cleans the atmosphere while it is developing—such as timber—we as humanity will be using plastics, aluminium and steel, resources which are petrochemical in origin, non-renewable and leave carbon footprints a lot larger than those of Senator Brown’s international travel.