Senator IAN CAMPBELL (Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads) (9:35 AM) —Mr President, I would like to congratulate you on the action you have taken. Senator Lees did raise these issues with me on Monday and I must say, having been around the environs of Parliament House over the last couple of weeks and having witnessed the normal cacophony of the songs of the various species of birds that make Parliament House their home from time to time, it was a fairly deafening silence we were met with earlier this week. So it is very—

Senator Ferris —Reassuring.

Senator IAN CAMPBELL —It is reassuring, Madam Whip, that there has been such prompt action in relation to Senator Lees's investigations. When we were in the building about three weeks ago, outside my old Senate corridor office I was able with my children to witness the building of a nest in one of the trees in the courtyard immediately adjacent to my former Senate office. My children marvelled at the wonder of these birds. I am not an expert on species the way Senator Lees is; perhaps we could wander up there and have a look at the bird and hope it is still there. The point I make, particularly with the children in the gallery, is that around this building we do have some wonderful native flora which those of us who have been here for a little while have watched grow to mature height over the past 13 years, at least for me.

Senator IAN CAMPBELL —A lot of these trees were planted prior to 1988, Senator Santoro. The building did look like a bit of a stark edifice when I first came here, but the great foresight of the planners and horticulturists who built the wonderful gardens around this place has created a wonderful habitat for so much fauna and particularly bird life, which we are focusing on this morning as a result of your excellent intervention here, Mr President.

Can I say, therefore, for the benefit of the children in the gallery today—and the benefit of all the children around Australia who will hopefully one day get to visit Parliament House and our national capital—that for a number of species, from my own personal experience of those outside my office window, this is obviously a nesting time for many of them. Of course, the tragedy of losing the 10 currawongs that we have been able to find is sad enough, but of course it would be sad if those birds that have died have left younger birds. I am not sure what the proper title is for young birds. What are they called?

Senator Brown —Nestling will do.

Senator IAN CAMPBELL —It would be sad if those nestlings were left to starve in their nests. That would of course be horrific. Clearly, Mr President, the research that you are undertaking is important not only to get to the bottom of what has caused the problems with the bird life around the buildings this week but also to see whether there are external factors that have led to these deaths and to put in place measures to make sure this does not happen again. I give you, on behalf of the government, our very best wishes in your activities in this regard.