David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

We all know that the words 'environmental sustainability' have a common-usage definition but also a legal definition. When you introduce phrases like that into the day-to-day administration of what should be a simple funding regime, as this bill seeks to do, you really do open a bit of a Pandora's box in terms of administration on the ground and in terms of budgetary positions and compliance issues. These phrases now, rightly or wrongly—and I do not criticise the importance of them—do carry with them some responsibility to get things right. All I am saying is that in this instance this is inappropriate. It makes it more complex to administer. And I do not think that is what we are about.