Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

I think this will be my final intervention. The point here is that decisions were taken by the previous government. They were taken in the manner to which I do not have insight—that is, not something that is known to me. Again, I give that undertaking. But on the basis of the court case in question—on the basis that that applies to at least one case—there could have been massive uncertainty to projects already begun on any possible number of cases. I do not know which they are because I have no insight into the decision-making process or the decision-making documents of the previous government. That is the convention on the passage of government.

What we have done is, very simply, to try to provide certainty in the Australian economy—certainty to projects mad—and to uphold the existing standards whilst also applying to ourselves the highest standards. So we deal with the conservation advices. They are present, they are examined and they inform the advice of the department. That has been the practice since the formation of government, and that will be the continuing practice as we proceed.

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