E&OE….
Topics: Q&A, climate change, Geelong Star
MARK PARTON:
Greg Hunt is the Federal Environment Minister. He’s a regular guest on this programme, he was a guest on Q&A last night on ABC TV if you were watching and I know this is the market around Australia where Q&A does better than any other.
G’day Greg.
GREG HUNT:
And good morning Mark.
MARK PARTON:
I’ve never been a guest on Q&A. I daresay I never will be…
GREG HUNT:
Oh I’ll put in a good word for you.
MARK PARTON:
Talk to me – what goes on behind the scenes that we wouldn’t know about in the lead up to it? Like when do you rock up to actually do that show?
GREG HUNT:
So I guess I got there at about 8.40 last night and there’s what they call a Green Room which is where the guest and those who are with them meet. They then take you off to make-up and in my case that took all of about two minutes because I think they feared it was a lost cause. And then I’ll talk to you a little bit about the programme, but they don’t give away too much at all.
The first question was a complete surprise – there’d been no mention of Floyd Mayweather or boxing, so they keep you on your toes and you have to live by your wits. Fortunately, I was aware that Australia had denied him a visa, so it’s a bit like a general knowledge test, as well as in some cases they try to ask questions specific to each of the guests.
MARK PARTON:
Because I saw some of the Floyd Mayweather stuff and I would’ve thought that it would’ve been extremely beneficial to actually let people know, even if you only got ten minutes warning on that.
GREG HUNT:
No, no knowledge of that question at all. There was an indication that we would probably deal with issues relating to animal rights and domestic violence because of the two guests who were not frequent visitors to the programme, but none about the first question. And that’s fine. That’s part of the fun of going on to a programme, that you’re forced and challenged to stray into general areas of social policy and I enjoy that and I enjoyed those discussions.
MARK PARTON:
You got a question on the programme last night from a grandfather who classified certainly your party, if not you, as non-believers to the theory of climate change. How do you – I mean it’s interesting responding to something like that and I note that you actually responded in part by saying that this was your life’s work, which seemed like a big call.
GREG HUNT:
Well look, I respectfully disagreed with the gentleman. I understand his purpose, but it’s clear that there’s a complete bipartisan approach on the science and on the targets. There is a radical difference on the method. We’ve rejected an electricity tax and a gas tax and the Australian people voted with us on that at the last election.
So sometimes people who want to support the ALP make the claim that it’s about science. It’s not. And then for me there are probably two great parts to my environmental work that in twenty or thirty years’ time I hope I look back on. One is what we’ve done in reducing emissions without hitting Australian families. You can make huge differences and I know that around the world people are looking at what Australia has done and it’s really made a lot of people sit up and take notice and the second is the work on the Barrier Reef.
We’ve done things that have never been done in the last one hundred years. The banning of dredge disposal in the Marine Park of almost 350,000 square kilometres. That’s unique in Australian history. It was controversial, but I’m really pleased and proud that we took that step that nobody else had ever done.
MARK PARTON:
Greg, there’s always been controversy about the Geelong Star, this factory fishing trawler, and there’s certainly a lot more now. It’s ended up killing a dozen dolphins and seals and I don’t know, was the wrong call made to allow this vessel to ply its trade in Australian waters?
GREG HUNT:
Well look, I have expressed my outrage both verbally and in writing to the Australian Fisheries Management Agency. I would say this – one, we replaced a temporary ban on super trawlers in one jurisdiction which we inherited from the previous government, with a permanent ban in all jurisdictions.
The second thing is there has been a suspension of activities on this particular boat and they are now going through a very, very tough reassessment. I understand that there will be more restrictions placed, but I’ve written to AFMA and I’ve said publicly that these operations in this form have failed and are unacceptable.
MARK PARTON:
Did you, as Environment Minister, consider just cancelling the trawlers fishing licence and the management plan immediately altogether?
GREG HUNT:
No, this is a matter for a different portfolio. So this is AFMA in the fisheries area. What I did was make sure that we put in place a permanent ban in all jurisdictions on super trawlers using the definition that was agreed by the previous government and so we’ve strengthened those laws quite dramatically.
MARK PARTON:
This vessel falls still within the guidelines, doesn’t it? Because it’s my understanding that a super trawler is 130 metres in size?
GREG HUNT:
Correct. That was the definition agreed by the ALP when they were in government and advocated by them and the others…
MARK PARTON:
And this vessel’s 95 metres?
GREG HUNT:
Correct. So it’s significantly smaller, but it is still a significant sized vessel and in my view, it has failed to live up to the standards expected and that’s why there is a suspension in place whilst a very tough, uncompromising review is put in place and I have spoken out publicly, I have written to AFMA and I expect that the absolute toughest standards are applied and if they can’t meet them, well they won’t fish.
MARK PARTON:
Greg, thanks for coming on this morning.
GREG HUNT:
Thanks a lot.
MARK PARTON:
Federal Environment Minister, Greg Hunt.
(ENDS)