Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator Watt. Five years ago, the then environment minister and now opposition leader Sussan Ley commissioned a review by eminent academic and businessman Graeme Samuel into Australia's environment laws. The Samuel review made a number of recommendations about improving the nation's laws to better protect the environment and improve productivity within the approvals process. How is the Albanese Labor government progressing these long-overdue reforms, and can you provide an update to the planned timing of this legislation?

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

Thanks to Senator Cox, who I know is working hard to deliver real environmental reform as a member of the Australian Labor Party. Reforming Australia's environmental protection laws is a key priority for the Albanese Labor government. I've been consulting extensively over the past three months on these reforms, holding more than 40 meetings, roundtables and forums right across the country, with everyone from state and territory governments and environmental groups to mining companies, property developers, renewable energy proponents and more. In those meetings I've consistently heard that we need to move quickly to reform these laws, as delays mean holding up investment and more environmental destruction. That's why today I announced that the Albanese government is bringing forward the introduction of this legislation to the parliament by six months, beginning the process of overhauling Australia's environmental laws this side of Christmas. This is in direct response to the very clear consensus that we saw at last week's economic roundtable that these reforms are vital for our environment and for business.

What is clear is that these laws are utterly broken. Our environment needs greater protection, and we will not meet our national priorities, like delivering more homes and renewable energy, unless we overhaul these laws. Our reforms, built on Graeme Samuel's recommendations, will deliver stronger environmental protections, faster and more-efficient approvals and assessments for projects, and more transparency when it comes to environmental decision-making. So, these are really vital reforms for the nation, and we invite the support of the coalition and the Greens to deliver them.

It's worth remembering that, in 2021, then environment minister Sussan Ley supported environmental reform, saying: 'If we do not get the process moving, it will end up hurting both the environment and the economy… Unless we pass the bills, we will fall behind, and we will fall behind on environmental protection.' I trust that this remains the position of the opposition leader, and I sincerely hope it's the position of the coalition party room. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cox, first supplementary.

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the minister's response that ensuring that Australia's environment laws are fit for purpose and working to protect the environment is a key priority for the Albanese Labor government. Why is it important for business and the environment to reform these laws?

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

Thanks, Senator Cox. Well, I've seen that business groups, including the Business Council of Australia and the Minerals Council of Australia, along with environmental groups like Greenpeace, have backed our announcement today that we are bringing forward these reforms. While on this side of the chamber we are united in protecting the environment, those sitting over there are still debating whether climate change is real. At the weekend we had the extraordinary moment at the LNP Queensland convention where federal LNP members led the charge to dump net zero. Senator Canavan was there saying he had to pinch himself, he was that happy. He was saying there were just five hands in favour of net zero out of 600 members present and that 'any leader of our political parties would want to be in tune with our members'. I wonder if one of those five hands belonged to Senator Scarr, because yesterday on radio Senator Scarr said, 'The views expressed at conventions aren't binding on the parliamentary party' and that it was a resolution against net zero mandates—it's a bit more nuanced than what certain other people have said. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cox, second supplementary.

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government remains united in its commitment to deliver on EPBC reform, action on climate change and emissions reduction in order to protect and safeguard our precious environment. How important is policy certainty to ensure confidence in private sector investment in our economy?

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

Thanks, Senator Cox, and, as you know, for years the Australian business community has been crying out for policy certainty around the environment and energy so they can plan their investments accordingly. Instead, we all remember that they got 22 different policies from the coalition's wasted decade in office, and apparently now, at the urging of Senator Cash in the coalition party room today, they are about to get another one. Now, call me old-fashioned, but I always thought that one of the KPIs of a Senate leader would be that they would back in their actual party leader! It's old-fashioned, I know. But instead of Senator Cash leading support for the opposition leader, we have Senator Cash leading a rabble within the coalition, leading the brains trust of Senator Canavan, Senator Antic, Tony Pasin, Terry Young—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, I'm going to ask you to withdraw that comment.

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

Brains trust? I withdraw. The collection of geniuses—Senator Canavan, Senator Antic, Tony Pasin, Terry Young and Llew O'Brien—that's who Senator Cash is backing in. She's not backing in the opposition leader, Ms Ley. In fact, she's working to bring her down.