George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

No, Senator Waters, we are not—that is absolutely not the reason we are introducing the bill. What we are introducing the bill to do is to stop people who want to prosecute a political cause, rather than a legitimate legal cause, from using the courts as a political vehicle. We know that that is what they intend to do because they have told us. Greenpeace, Wotif—other environmental, radical, activist groups have published a document about destroying Australian infrastructure. This is what they have said. Let me read the strategy to you:

Our strategy is to 'disrupt and delay' key projects and infrastructure …

They set out the six elements of the strategy, the first of which is to challenge key infrastructure developments through litigation. They elaborate on the point. I am reading from their document, their declaration of war against the Australian economy:

1. Mount legal challenges to the approval of several key ports, mines and rail lines.

2. Run legal challenges that delay, limit or stop all of the major infrastructure projects …

That is the declaration of intent. That is the declaration of war against the Australian economy, and we intend to stop it. Senator Waters, you should hang your head in shame, as a Senator representing Queensland. I wonder when was the last you visited Central Queensland? If you had done so, you would have found the despair and the sense of hopelessness among people in Rockhampton, in Mackay, in Gladstone, in Emerald and places like that, as a result of the stopping of the Carmichael mine project, which over the life of the project would have brought 10,000 jobs to that region. And you are happy about that! Shame on you!