Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: “the House declines to give the bill a second reading, and expresses strong concern that:

(1)

the bill is being rushed through the Parliament without proper consideration or consultation;

(2)

the Howard Government has failed to halt the decline in Australia’s natural environment and best agricultural land;

(3)

the bill contains no measures to cut Australia’s spiralling greenhouse pollution or protect Australia from dangerous climate change;

(4)

the bill will increase the Howard Government’s politicisation of environment and heritage protection; and

(5)

many of the proposed changes in the bill will reduce Ministerial accountability and opportunities for genuine public consultation;

(6)

ensure climate change is properly factored into environmental decision making under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act);

(7)

establish a climate change trigger in the Act to ensure large scale greenhouse polluting projects are assessed by the Federal Government”; and

(8)

allow greater time for public consultation and debate on the Bill.

This process is an outrage. Last Thursday in this House the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage tabled a bill that is 409 pages long. With it he tabled an explanatory memorandum that is over 100 pages long. Now, less than one week later, before submissions have even been received by the committee to look at this legislation, the Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2006, we have a debate on it and it will be rammed through the House of Representatives this week.

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