Senator BROWN(4.21 p.m.) —The minister in response to what Senator Faulkner had to say about his crystal ball gazing into what might be in tonight's budget mentioned cutting funding to some programs affecting Queensland, in particular the Daintree rescue package and the mahogany glider rescue package, both of which are extraordinarily important programs coming from the last government. The minister said in response to that that he will be spreading the funding.

Unless I misinterpret that politicalspeak, he has corroborated what Senator Faulkner had to say. I would expect that that means that he is splattering the mahogany glider. He is taking money out of that program and either putting it elsewhere or carrying it on into some future date. He has already indicated that that is the fate of the Daintree rescue package.

Earlier on the minister said that he was relying on regional and state advisory boards or councils being set up to look after the disbursement of money out of this fund. I would like to ask the minister about the Tasmanian situation, where a committee of three has been set up—not in the Department of Environment and Land Management but in the Premier's office—to look after Tasmania's share of funding.

That committee comprises an administrator formerly from the department of environment, an adviser to successive Liberal governments—neither of whom, as far as I am aware, have any environmental qualifications—and it is headed up by a forester from Tasmania's notorious, in environmental terms, Forestry Commission, which is now called Forestry Tasmania. Its record has been serially one of fighting environmental breakthroughs in terms of protecting Tasmania's grand eucalypt forests, the rainforests and the wildlife.

So, on the face of it, we have a hostile committee—certainly one where it is hard to discover the environmental application, rigour, past performance and avocation. I would ask the minister to tell the committee where I am wrong in that and to explain to us why he has confidence that these people are suitably qualified to look after the disbursement of these funds in Tasmania, to ensure that those funds are put to projects of maximum environmental efficacy.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN (Senator Knowles) —Senator Brown, I am sorry to interrupt, but could you please address your remarks to the actual amendment before the chair, instead of the general issue that you are now canvassing.

Senator BROWN —Madam Temporary Chairman, I would be happy to. I did say when earlier canvassing this issue that I am responding to the minister's own comments about the establishment of these advisory committees. I was simply asking for him to address my response to that matter. So I am not straying from the subjects that he himself brought up under this item in the committee. I would be very happy to hear what he has to say about it.