House debates Questions without Notice
Endangered Species
Terri Butler Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water
2:56 pm
My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer to as previous answer. Did the minister's meeting with departmental issues discuss any of the following matters—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Members:
Honourable members interjecting—
Tony Smith Speaker
There were a couple of interjections there, and I'm struggling to hear the member for Griffith anyway. I ask the member for Griffith to start again, a bit louder.
Terri Butler Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water
You don't usually ask me that!
Tony Smith Speaker
I know that's unusual for me to ask anyone to speak louder.
Terri Butler Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water
Especially not me! My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emission Reduction. I refer to his previous answer. Did the minister's meeting with departmental officials discuss any of the following matters later referenced in departmental correspondence about the Threatened Species Scientific Committee: whether the environment minister could vary the listing without the committee's advice; whether the minister could act against the committee's advice; and, if the minister acted against the committee's advice, could the minister keep the reasons secret?
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
2:57 pm
The briefing was a technical briefing with respect to a revised listing of the EPBC which had the potential to impact thousands of farmers in my electorate—their livelihoods, their wellbeing.