Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Maybe you could talk about treaty in this country.

My question is for the Minister for the Environment and Water, Minister Watt. Minister, will you commit to introducing a standalone First Nations engagement and participation standard before EPBC reforms are legislated?

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

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

Senator Thorpe, first supplementary?

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Free, prior and informed consent must occur before any standard, so why are you continuously going against First People's free, prior and informed consent, which was violated by Labor?

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

I'm not quite sure what Senator Thorpe is referring to there. I'm happy to discuss that with you, Senator Thorpe. As I say, we are already drafting national environmental standards, including regarding First Nations engagement, even though we haven't got the power to create those standards, because we want to get moving on them when this bill is passed—and I'm very confident that it will be passed with the support of either the coalition or the Greens.

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

Senator Thorpe, a second supplementary?

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question was about violating free, prior and informed consent, destroying sacred sites and destroying water and country. You spoke about protecting Murujuga. The people of Murujuga say otherwise. So, in the national interest, will you as minister continue to desecrate and destroy sacred sites?

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

No, I certainly won't. In fact, I, along with all members of this government. will do everything I can to protect sacred sites for First Nations people. I know that in some quarters there is a narrative that traditional owners in Murujuga are unhappy with the way the government has acted. As with every group, there are some people that are in favour and some people that are not, but the representative group of traditional owners in Murujuga has supported the government's actions. I was standing side-by-side with them when we secured World Heritage listing for Murujuga.