Senator BARTLETT (4:59 PM) —I will indicate the Democrats' view on this issue of referring this matter for Senate committee inquiry. It is an issue of some debate in parts of the country, including my own state of Queensland, both from those that are concerned about certain aspects of the plan and those that are strongly supportive of it. I welcome the support of all parties in the chamber for the opportunity for the Senate to actually examine the issue in sufficient detail in an area such as this where we are given the legislative authority to be able to consider and disallow or otherwise plans such as this. We have that authority, and when the community raises concerns it is appropriate for us to give consideration through the processes of the Senate. With an issue such as this, it is much more appropriately done through a committee inquiry, which allows consideration of the issues which is hopefully less political and heated than debates in the chamber can be. I think it will be useful from that point of view of ensuring that community concerns are considered and heard.

From the Democrats' point of view, I think it is worth emphasising that we have not got a position of having decided to support any disallowance at all. Our focus will be particularly on ensuring the environmental sustainability of the fishery. Some argue very strongly that this new amended plan enhances the sustainability of the fishery. That will be an issue that we will be looking at closely in relation to the inquiry. But I do think it is important that there is an opportunity for community voices to be heard in relation to the issue. It therefore puts a requirement on those who have a concern about the plan as amended to put forward their concerns and their views in detail and have them tested by a Senate committee giving proper consideration to all aspects of the matter. So it is simply a mechanism to ensure that the views of all sides on this particular issue, which has been an ongoing one, are able to be given consideration in as clear a way as possible.

Again, I emphasise that, from the Democrats' perspective, we have no finalised view about the adequacy or otherwise of the plan, and that is indeed the purpose of enabling the Senate as a whole to have an examination of it through the Senate committee process. I welcome the support of all parties for going down this procedural path and ensuring that there is that opportunity for community views to be heard. I hope that as part of that process the final stage in relation to the development of this plan, which is consideration of it by a house of parliament if it chooses, would address the issue in a more complete sense.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT (Senator Sherry) —The question is that the amendment put forward by Senator Forshaw be agreed to.

Question resolved in the affirmative.