Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Labor won't be supporting this motion. We believe issuing a running commentary—and we acknowledge the Greens have drafted this motion in a way that forces that—on court decisions is not how you protect the environment or ensure certainty in regional employment. It's reckless for the Greens to claim that the decision sets an important legal precedent. Labor support the social, economic and environmental benefits that flow from sustainable management of our native forests and support regional forest agreements. We are committed to ecologically sustainable development within the forestry industry. Furthermore, the EPBC Act is under review, and we shouldn't pre-empt it. Labor support the protection of threatened species, and we know this government isn't doing enough. The motion does nothing to address the key challenges we as a nation need to confront on climate action, protecting our environment and threatened species. For that we need real change, not motions which seek to wedge the Labor Party, which is what the Greens excel at.