Attempt at national duck hunting ban in Senate fails miserably
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia
The Senate
4 December 2008
Duck hunting
Senator Siewert (Western Australia) (10.07am) - Mr President, before I move my motion on duck hunting, I seek leave to table a document. I understand I have support from the government and the opposition to do this.
Leave granted.
I table the document National common position statement of conservation, animal welfare and political groups calling for a permanent ban on recreational shooting of native waterbirds and move that the Senate:
(a) notes the joint Common Position Statement which highlights the unsustainable and cruel nature of recreational shooting of native waterbirds which is endorsed by 136 organisations, including the World Wildlife Fund, Birds Australia, Bird Observation and Conservation Australia, RSPCA Australia, Australian
Conservation Foundation, and the Wilderness Society;
(b) explores permanently banning recreational duck shooting on all:
(i) Commonwealth controlled land, and
(ii) Ramsar sites throughout Australia; and
(c) considers working in co-operation with Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement for nationally-consistent legislation for a permanent ban on the recreational shooting of native waterbirds.
Senator Ludwig (Queensland - Minister for Human Services) (10.08am) - by leave - This is a short statement, I need only one minute and I thank the opposition for their agreement as to leave. The government opposes this motion because the management of recreational shooting is primarily a regulatory responsibility of the states and territories. Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia have chosen to introduce a ban on duck shooting. Other states and also the territories have not. With regard to Commonwealth responsibilities, shooting native waterbirds would only trigger the relevant federal legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, where it had a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance.
Senator Bob Brown (Tasmania - Leader of the Australian Greens) (10.09am) - by leave - This is a one-minute contribution as well. What the minister said is just not satisfactory. We have a prolonged drought. Most states in this country have banned duck shooting in recent seasons. Sadly, Tasmania has not. What we are seeing is falling populations of wild ducks, concentrations of them including in Ramsar wetlands and a totally unnecessary carnage for recreational purposes. There is no recreation in this. This is destruction. It has got nothing to do with creation. This motion should be supported by the government.
Question put: That the motion (Senator Siewert’s) be agreed to.
The Senate divided. [10.14am]
(The President - Senator the Hon JJ Hogg)
Ayes 5
Noes 51
Majority 46
Ayes
Brown, BJ (Greens)
Hanson-Young, SC (Greens)
Ludlam, S (Greens)
Milne, C (Greens)
Siewert, R * (Greens)
Noes
Arbib, MV
Barnett, G
Bernardi, C
Bilyk, CL
Birmingham, S
Bishop, TM
Boswell, RLD
Brown, CL
Bushby, DC
Cameron, DN
Cash, MC
Colbeck, R
Conroy, SM
Coonan, HL
Cormann, MHP
Crossin, PM
Eggleston, A
Ellison, CM
Farrell, DE
Faulkner, JP
Feeney, D
Ferguson, AB
Fielding, S
Fierravanti-Wells, C
Fifield, MP
Fisher, MJ
Furner, ML
Hogg, JJ
Humphries, G
Hurley, A
Hutchins, SP
Joyce, B
Ludwig, JW
Lundy, KA
Macdonald, I
Marshall, G
McEwen, A
Minchin, NH
Moore, C
Nash, F
Parry, S *
Payne, MA
Pratt, LC
Scullion, NG
Stephens, U
Sterle, G
Troeth, JM
Trood, RB
Williams, JR
Wortley, D
Xenophon, N
Question negatived.
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