Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Hansard source

Last week on Radio National the Minister for the Environment and Energy claimed that his government was not reducing environmental protection in the oceans, on the basis that I personally had only introduced draft management plans in 2012. This is incorrect. In 2012 final management plans for marine reserves were made legislative instruments. The minister should be aware of this, as they were subject to disallowance votes and he personally voted six times that they be disallowed. On each occasion the disallowance vote failed. Mr Speaker, I seek to make another personal explanation.

See this speech in context