Senator COLBECK (Tasmania—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture) (15:27): Mr Deputy President, congratulations on your ascension to the role. I have not had the opportunity to formally congratulate you before. The circumstances on the west coast of Tasmania are indeed unfortunate. It is a very difficult time for people on the west coast of Tasmania. If Labor members and senators think that the only thing that can be offered to that community is a local or regional employment coordinator, if that is all they are asking for, it shows how shallow their approach to this very, very difficult circumstance is. I might reflect on some other difficulties that have occurred in my region over the last few years. It is good that Senator Carr is in the chamber, because he was part of the process under which we lost two paper mills and a carpet factory. What was the Labor government's response to that? The Labor government's response to the circumstance where the paper industry decided they were going to review— Senator Polley interjecting— Senator COLBECK: Just wait and see what the response was, Senator Polley. The Labor Party's response was to call a meeting of interested parties. Senator Kim Carr: Rubbish! Complete rubbish! Senator COLBECK: Let me finish, Senator. Not only did they call a meeting; Senator Carr would not even come to Tasmania. He called the locals to go to him in Victoria. They had to travel to Victoria to meet with him. He did not have time to come to Tasmania. Then he put into place a committee to consider the future of the pulp and paper industry, alongside the decision-making process of the company. And guess what? The committee he put into place did not report until after months and months, after the company had made the decision to close. He said at the outset that this committee would consider the industry in conjunction with the company itself, so that the company could be informed by the process of the committee, but the committee did not report until well and truly later. We are consulting with the community. The member for Braddon has already spoken to the Prime Minister in the Prime Minister's office. He has also spoken to the office of the Minister for Industry—who will be in Tasmania next week. With the former minister, they had to go to him. Senator Kim Carr: Where's the money? Senator COLBECK: As Senator Carr says, just throw a bucket of money at it and it will all go away. We are talking to the community. Interestingly, in Victoria, where the decisions have been known for some time, the community has had a chance to develop a plan. That process is only just starting in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Premier acted very quickly. He was quickly in Queenstown and quickly set up a task force to work with community members. The Labor Party think they can just impose themselves on the community. That is what they did with the carbon tax and that is one of the reasons industry in Tasmania has been doing it so tough. Simplot, for example, is a business which will be saved $4 million a year by today's action in this chamber. The previous government offered them money. They threw money at them. We can save them more money in four years than the previous government offered them just by throwing money at the problem. That is their only answer. They think throwing some money at the problem will sort it all out. We are making regulatory reform which will reduce the cost to industry and business and allow them to flourish. It will give them the opportunity to grow. It is a very, very unfortunate circumstance on the west coast of Tasmania and we all feel very much for the people. The Labor Party are playing base politics with this issue, in stark contrast to what we did when Caterpillar workers were being put off, when we worked alongside the then local member for Braddon, Mr Sid Sidebottom. We did not criticise the government because there were difficult decisions being made in the industry; yet, as soon as the tables are turned, the Labor Party return to base politics. They are not prepared to listen to what the community want. They just want to play dirty base politics with a very unfortunate circumstance. They are not interested in listening to the local community and are not prepared to chip in and play a sensible and responsible part in what is a very difficult situation. (Time expired)