Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

To a certain extent, you have hit the nail on the head, Minister. Another area of concern for us is that it is general. It is not specific and it is left wide open for a number of pieces of legislation to be excluded. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is just one example that is causing concern in the community—and it is certainly causing concern for the Greens. So I ask why it is not specific. Why is it so wide open? What guarantee does the community have that the power will not be abused—maybe not by this minister but by a future minister? I am not casting aspersions on any particular minister; I am just saying that the provision is there and, because it is such an extraordinary power, it could be abused in the future.