Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. My question was principally to the Minister representing the Attorney-General: does she agree that a royal commission would be useful? I repeat that question. Does the minister agree that immediate action was required to contain the impact of the oil spill, that this did not occur and that a royal commission would be able to make recommendations to ensure a better response to any future similar large-scale environmental disasters? Would the minister believe that, as of 30 minutes ago, 100 Brisbane City Council employees are sitting on Bulwer Island, where they have been for four hours, simply because they cannot get the personal protective equipment needed to address the oil spill? This demonstrates the inefficiency of the Queensland government in addressing this environmental disaster.