Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Whish-Wilson. Of course, I would expect Senator Whish-Wilson to focus on particular aspects of this issue that the government continues to work on. But I think it is worth reminding the chamber that, even in our first term of office—under Minister Plibersek in this portfolio—Labor delivered over $1 billion with governments and industry to boost recycling by 1.4 million tonnes per year, including $60 million for soft plastics, and created thousands of new jobs in the process. We have also been working with states and territories to reform packaging regulations with strict new rules and targets in addition to the work we have been doing on the international stage for a binding treaty.

I acknowledge that there is still more to be done on those matters, but we did take action in our first term to get this process underway after, yet again, it was ignored for 10 years under the coalition, and we expect to continue that work over the course of this term. I would be more than happy to speak further with Senator Whish-Wilson about our plans in this regard, and I would welcome the Greens' support to back in those efforts as well.