Senator BROWN (12:10 PM) —I will also seek leave from the chamber to incorporate the picture that I held up a little while ago of the Tarkine wilderness, if Hansard can reproduce it. Senators may remember that I circulated that some months ago. If senators wish, I will circulate copies of that in a little while and then maybe the matter can be determined.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN —You can seek leave at that time, when they have been circulated, Senator Brown.

Senator BROWN —Thank you. Firstly, I want to have the government answer questions when they are put in committee. There is no point in having a committee process if we have the government unable or unwilling to answer very basic questions on this matter.

We come to this heartland matter, which is involved in the question of whether we should support the amendments brought forward by Senator Greig and the minister's own words that the regional forest agreements involved ecologically sustainable logging. I asked the minister quite explicitly if that meant that the ecosystems are sustained, where you have a cut down, firebomb and poison regime as happens with clear-felling in Tasmania's forests. Can the minister assure the chamber that those ecosystems are sustained when that triple process of cut down, firebomb and poison takes place in a wild forest, for example, in the case I showed, the rainforests of the Tarkine wilderness?