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Mr Connolly: Saving gum trees is silly!

MR BERRY: Saving gum trees is silly! Mr De Domenico claims to have read this, and he says that the amendment is silly. What it seeks to do is to change the penalty from $5,000 to 50 penalty units. That is consistent with all of your other amendments, so do not make yourself look a fool. What we propose to do is to ensure that the preservation of trees, which is now inherent in the legislation and was intended to be there, will also have a penalty regime that is consistent with that part of the legislation.

Mr Osborne has not said anything to this point, so it seems that it all comes down to what Mr Osborne will do in relation to the preservation of gum trees. I think the Greens have appropriately stated their position. They are about protecting gum trees in the urban environment, and so they ought to be. What we are faced with here is the removal of any protection at all. If somebody else has a better regime, let them put it forward by way of amendments to the legislation; but do not take all the protection away. That is what is happening here. The Axeman over here, Mr Moore, and the Liberals are taking all the protection away from native species in the urban environment on leased land. The Liberals would think that is fine, it appears.

Mr Hird: You have not thought it through, Wayne.

MR BERRY: Listen to the old hollow vessels over here. We intend to stand by our guns on this issue. It is a sensible amendment that proposes to change the penalty regime. The amendment that has been put forward by the Government and supported by Mr Moore takes away the protection for native species in the ACT. If you think the protection for native species is inadequate or needs reform, you do not take away the protection, and that is what people are setting out to do. If you want to be lumbered with the responsibility for removing all the protection - - -

MR SPEAKER: A most unfortunate word, if I may say so, Mr Berry.

MR BERRY: Indeed. You were quick to pick that up, Mr Speaker. The Liberals have proved that they are barking up the wrong tree on this one. I think the Liberals are going to be facing the embarrassment of attempting to remove this protection, and they deserve it. Clearly, everybody who lives in this fair city has a soft spot for all of those trees.

Mr De Domenico: All the ones who prune their Cootamundra wattles are saying, “Thank you, Mr Berry, for stopping me from doing so”.

Mr Kaine: Especially the big old gum tree that is about to fall on the house. It has been there for 50 years.

MR BERRY: Those people who prune their trees with reasonable excuse are perfectly entitled to do so, and if they need a licence they can go out and get one.

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