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

Thank you, Senator Thorpe. My department has been working very actively on the development of a First Nations engagement standard, which is a really important part of these reforms We're not actually able to create any new national environmental standards until this bill is passed, because one of the things the bill does is give the minister of the day the power to make national environmental standards. Nevertheless, we are developing those standards and we'll be consulting on them over the next few weeks. Of course, the best thing that anyone who wants to see those standards created could do is to vote for these bills, which will give a minister power to make those standards in the first place.