Summary

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The majority voted in support of a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Jonathon Duniam (Liberal), which means it passed. Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own but can be politically influential because they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the recent decision of the Full Federal Court of Australia has now provided a clear determination on the validity of the Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA);

(b) further notes the judgement was a big win for Australia's forest industry and supports the long-held position of this Government, the state of Tasmania and industry that RFAs remain the best way of balancing environmental, economic and social demands for our native forests;

(c) acknowledges that the Australian forest industry uses world-class sustainable forest management practices and supports the employment of more than 52,000 hardworking Australians making it an industry that deserves to be celebrated;

(d) recognises native forestry has a strong future in Australia, and notes that Neville Smith Forest Products this month announced 40 new Tasmanian jobs driven by demand for sustainably produced native forest products;

(e) condemns the Bob Brown Foundation for their consistent use of the Australian courts to decimate the livelihoods of working Australians; and

(f) calls on the Bob Brown Foundation and the Australian Greens to accept the decision of the court in what they branded 'the Great Forest Case' and heed Mr Brown's own advice: 'It is time we moved on'.

Votes Passed by a modest majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (89% turnout) 0 Yes 8 No
Mehreen Faruqi NSW No
Sarah Hanson-Young SA No
Nick McKim Tasmania No
Janet Rice Victoria No
Rachel Siewert WA No
Jordon Steele-John WA No
Larissa Waters Queensland No
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania No
Lidia Thorpe Victoria Absent
Australian Labor Party (16% turnout) 4 Yes 0 No
Katy Gallagher ACT Yes
Helen Polley Tasmania Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Tim Ayres NSW Absent
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Absent
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Absent
Raff Ciccone Victoria Absent
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Don Farrell SA Absent
Alex Gallacher SA Absent
Nita Green Queensland Absent
Kristina Keneally NSW Absent
Kimberley Kitching Victoria Absent
Jenny McAllister NSW Absent
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Absent
Deborah O'Neill NSW Absent
Tony Sheldon NSW Absent
Marielle Smith SA Absent
Glenn Sterle WA Absent
Jess Walsh Victoria Absent
Murray Watt Queensland Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Stirling Griff SA Centre Alliance Absent
Sam McMahon NT Country Liberal Party Yes
Sue Lines WA Deputy President Absent
Rex Patrick SA Independent Absent
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania Jacqui Lambie Network Yes
Liberal National Party (100% turnout) 2 Yes 0 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland Yes
James McGrath Queensland Yes
Liberal Party (69% turnout) 20 Yes 0 No
Alex Antic SA Yes
Wendy Askew Tasmania Yes
Andrew Bragg NSW Yes
Slade Brockman WA Yes
Claire Chandler Tasmania Yes
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania Yes
David Fawcett SA Yes
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Yes
Hollie Hughes NSW Yes
Jane Hume Victoria Yes
Andrew McLachlan SA Yes
Jim Molan NSW Yes
Matt O'Sullivan WA Yes
James Paterson Victoria Yes
Gerard Rennick Queensland Yes
Paul Scarr Queensland Yes
Ben Small WA Yes
Dean Smith WA Yes
Amanda Stoker Queensland Yes
David Van Victoria Yes
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Richard Colbeck Tasmania Absent
Sarah Henderson Victoria Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Linda Reynolds WA Absent
Anne Ruston SA Absent
Zed Seselja ACT Absent
National Party (33% turnout) 1 Yes 0 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Yes
Perin Davey NSW Absent
Susan McDonald Queensland Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (50% turnout) 1 Yes 0 No
Malcolm Roberts Queensland Yes
Pauline Hanson Queensland Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria President Absent
Totals (50% turnout) 30 Yes – 8 No