A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
GOVERNMENT MUST RELEASE NORTHERN TASKFORCE REPORT
22 January, 2010
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The Federal Government must immediately release the report on the development of Australia’s north produced by the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce.
The Taskforce, which was originally set up by the Howard Government, reported to the Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia, Gary Gray, in mid December but the report has not been publicly released.
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald said that there were absolutely no grounds for withholding the report which has been funded by the taxpayer.
“The report should not be a party-political document and there are absolutely no grounds for not making its contents and recommendations widely available,” Senator Macdonald said.
“I am perplexed as to why it has taken more than a month for the Federal Government to get around to releasing the report.
“Previous reports of the Taskforce have been made readily available.
“I am aware that the report contains a number of recommendations some of which could be usefully adopted immediately by the Federal Government.
“Not everyone will agree with the report and recommendations of the Taskforce but it should be ‘out there’ so that interested parties may look at the conclusions of the Taskforce and form their own views drawing upon the scientific expertise which has gone into production of the report,” said Senator Macdonald.
Senator Macdonald indicated that he would be closely questioning the Department of the Environment if the report has not been released by the time Senate Estimates Committees gather in the second week in February.