Environment Minister Sussan Ley has reiterated the Government’s position on the Great Barrier Reef, saying Australia’s approach to those in danger on our waters is clear.
“We lock them up. We tow them to an island and lock them up. Clearly that hasn’t happened yet for the Reef, so it’s pretty obvious that we don’t see it as being in danger,” Ms Ley said.
“When you see us ripping the Reef apart and towing it off to Manus, that’s when you’ll know that we consider it in danger”.
She said there were obvious reasons why the Reef had been given preferential treatment. “It’s white. It’s white, and it’s getting whiter. And while the fact that the reef is whiter now does make us like it a lot more, the white Australia policy has been off the books since 1973,” Ms Ley said before doing a comically big wink.
The party maintains that despite its whiteness if the reef insists on being in danger in Australian waters their hands will be tied. The recent clearing out of medevac patients means there is space at Nauru and Manus Islands.
By Matt Harvey
