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

Thanks, Senator Pocock. I think we had a discussion earlier about rulings, and again that was one of Professor Samuel's recommendations. It's similar in nature to the tax rulings that the tax office can provide to aid interpretation of the tax act. It's a similar principle here. The purpose of this new power that ministers will have to issue rulings is to aid interpretation of sections in this act. One of the reasons for doing so is to provide all interested parties with a clearer sense of what sorts of decisions are likely to be made.

To answer your questions, yes, any rulings would need to be consistent with the objects of the act. Secondly, I don't think it's really possible to give a commitment that rulings will only improve environmental outcomes or reduce environmental outcomes. I wouldn't think of the rulings as taking a side on these sorts of issues. What they are simply about is providing the minister's interpretation of how the law should be applied.