Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. We welcome the fact that the Greens are taking such a keen interest in the public statements of the Nationals. The Nationals support giving landowners greater rights. As the motion notes, our state based parties are pushing for, or have implemented when in power, such policies. That is where these issues ultimately have to be resolved—at the state level. Any changes must of course interact with state mining lease conditions, royalties and make-good regulations. We do not support this motion. The Senate has established an inquiry, and we should wait for it to report.

We also welcome the Greens' new-found interest in supporting landowner and farmer rights. But why they did the Greens refuse to preference the Victorian National Party in recent state by-elections even though the Nats had adopted a 'right to say no' policy? Is it because the Greens only support farmers' rights when it suits their inner-urban agenda but, unlike us, do not support farmers when they want to build dams, cut down trees, shoot pests or grow crops?