Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate. This is a very important development for Western Australia and a very important development for Australia. The Greens are trying to do everything and anything they can to stop an important LNG project from being developed in the Browse Basin. This is just the latest attempt. It is quite appropriate for the proper processes of state and federal governments to run their course, but this sort of stunt—trying to stop by a decision of the Senate a very important project for the economic development of Australia—is completely out of order. This is not only an important development for Western Austra­lia and for Australia; it is a very important development for the economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians in the north of Western Australia. For the Greens again to try and prevent Indigenous people in Austra­lia from maximising their opportunities in the context of developments like this is just completely outrageous and shows that they are antidevelopment at all costs. They do not believe in proper process. This is a project that should be assessed through the normal state and federal processes as they currently exist, consistent with the legislation.