Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to speak this evening with respect to the bushfire that is currently burning in Tasmania down in the Derwent Valley, the brave crews who are fighting that and the chaotic situation surrounding communities in that area. I would like to speak this evening about bushfires and about some of the myths surrounding the Greens being responsible for bushfires.

This has virtually evolved into urban myth over time. I caught up with my predecessor, Dr Bob Brown, only recently and had a coffee in Salamanca Place and he said to me that recently he was at the blues festival down in Cygnet, and while he was lining up for some food he heard four people behind him. One of the guys lining up spoke up very loudly and said, 'Maybe we should burn down Bob Brown's property and see how he likes it.' Obviously, Bob is pretty quick on his feet, and when he was leaving he went up to them and said, 'I'll remember you in a line-up,' and he walked off. I know he was quite shaken by that comment, because the fear and the hatred that is quite often directed to the Greens—the idea that we are somehow responsible for horrendous bushfires, firestorms that take life and destroy property—is quite sickening. I will get to where I think the source of that is very shortly.

I have gone to great lengths in the last three or four weeks to try and debunk this myth in the media and have put out statements highlighting current Greens policies which support fuel reduction burns and hazard management. The reason that I have taken a particular interest in this is twofold—

Senator Fierravanti-Wells interjecting—

I did not think we got interruptions during these types of speeches, but correct me if I am wrong.