DEBATES - Thursday 29 April 2010

have a deadbeat, dropkick government in power should be responsible for environmental damage as we have now? caused by the .

These guys have shown time and time again Fishermen in West are recorded as they do not have the ability to regulate anything, going bankrupt because of the effect of the oil spill let alone things as serious as our mining and on fishing stocks in their waters. East Timorese offshore industries. This lack of President, Dr José Ramos-Horta, said the oversight was probably highlighted best by the Australian government and the Thai company that Montara oil spill. The federal Labor government’s owns the platform are responsible for the spill, and own department, the Department of Resources, he will seek compensation for damage caused by Energy and Tourism, estimated the Montara oil the spill to his country’s environment. leak could have been as high as around 4000 Ramos-Horta called for Australian environmental barrels of oil per day pouring into the ocean. That organisations to help assess if the spill has is a staggeringly large number, considering this caused damage to ’s maritime area. leak occurred over several weeks – for 10 weeks it was spewing thousands and thousands of It does not add fact to the minister’s claim the barrels of oil per day into our ocean. is held in high esteem by . I believe he mentioned Indonesia The first attempts to plug the oil leak by the specifically, and other international bodies. A company failed, but the fifth attempt succeeded on quick search on Wikipedia shows the Indonesians 3 November 2009 when PTTEP pumped are not really happy. The West Timor and East approximately 3400 barrels of mud into a relief Timor governments are not really happy that well to stop the leak. By the way, Madam fishermen are going bankrupt in West Timor Speaker, I should say that I am quoting here from because of this oil slick. This is the worst oil Wikipedia. I did a quick search on the Internet, disaster in Australian history! Thousands of and this is what is says on Wikipedia. On that barrels of oil are going into the ocean every day. web page they say the slick was reported to have Absolutely disgraceful! Whose job was it to spread over 6000 km2, or 2300 square miles of regulate that industry, that particular resource? ocean, with evidence that the oil is killing marine Whose job? Everyone knows it was the Northern life. They say that by 30 October 2009, PTTEP Territory government’s job. The Northern Territory acknowledged the spill had spread as far as government has been receiving millions of dollars Indonesian waters, but had not yet reached their a year - and it would be great if the minister could coast – this is an oil spill that has almost reached tell us exactly how many millions of dollars a year Indonesian waters. the Northern Territory government has been taking off the Commonwealth government to It was quite laughable to listen to the member regulate this industry. It would be useful for the for Daly, the minister for goodness knows what he minister to tell us exactly where those millions of is these days. He has pretty well been stripped of dollars have been spent. I will bet London to a most responsibility. He proved over a number of brick none of it has been spent on regulating that years he could not build a house in remote industry. communities, he has been a complete failure on energy. However, he had the audacity to talk Suddenly, his comrades in Canberra, minister about the good standing the Northern Territory Ferguson and Kevin Rudd, are now taking the has with international governments and the like. pain for something the Northern Territory government should have been doing. What does Wikipedia say about the good Ramos-Horta is jumping up and down about the standing of the Northern Territory government and Australian government. The Indonesian the response they put in place to that … government is jumping up and down about the Australian government. The West Timorese are Members interjecting. jumping up and down about the Australian government. Comrade Ferguson is in Canberra Madam SPEAKER: Order! taking it on the chin. Why? Because the comrades in the Northern Territory could not do Mr TOLLNER: I did not quite hear that the job. Not only could they not do the job, they interjection. did not even try to do the job.

The international reaction is that NGOs in I bet you took the money and spent it Indonesia expressed concern about the oil spill’s elsewhere! We have looked, over the years, and effect on Indonesia’s environment and traditional seen the way this government has dumbed down fishing grounds as the oil drifted towards the the Resources department! Removed the islands of Timor and . They say that, in petroleum registrar, removed the Director of , Governor Frans Leburaya Energy - has not been replaced yet! Where is the said Australia and the operator of the oilfield pipeline engineer the government employs? Is

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