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

Mr President, it was indeed your political party, the Liberal Party, that banned whaling in Australia under the previous Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and since that time all cetaceans, whales and dolphins in Australian waters and in the Australian whale sanctuary in the Southern Ocean have been protected under Australian law. I would like to acknowledge today the brave conservationists and activists from around the world who have joined Sea Shepherd, gone to the Southern Ocean and literally stopped thousands of whales being killed by illegal Japanese whaling—every Christmas, while we spend time with our families and go on holidays,

This motion today recognises the fact that Sea Shepherd has spent 13 years in the Southern Ocean protecting whales. They have been very successful in that campaign. Sadly, they no longer will be conducting a Southern Ocean campaign, and this calls on the Liberal government to enact its election promise and send a customs vessel to the Southern Ocean this summer.