Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

It was a matter of great regret that, on election night, as the results were coming in the Greens were already promoting the fact that there would be 'war in the forests if the mandate of the Tasmanian people was implemented by the democratically elected government'. What that tells us—and, regrettably, the Labor Party are on the same page—is that the Labor Party and the Greens have not learnt from the result of the 7 September federal election, nor have they learnt the lesson of the Tasmanian state election. We trust that the people of Western Australia, in the upcoming Senate election over there, will recognise that the Labor-Green senators in this place are voting to deny Western Australians and Tasmanians the opportunity to grow jobs in genuinely good industries, playing to the strengths of Australia—something that we should all be encouraging. I encourage senators in this place to recognise the mandate given to the Tasmanian— (Time expired)