Terri Butler (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. On that basis, given that this is in relation to the expenditure in the environment department, I ask that the minister explain why his own department is to this day investigating a company in which he has a personal interest. I also want to raise some questions for the Minister for the Environment, in relation to some of the matters that she raised. Specifically, she's raised the review of the EPBC Act that's expected, as I understand it, to commence in October this year.

Minister, will the submissions to the review be made public and will there be a public call for submissions? Secondly, the minister took issue with my concerns about the expenditure of $444 million in a backroom deal to a small ill-equipped foundation which failed to comply fully with the rules designed to ensure transparency and value for money on the matter. Minister, why wasn't there an appropriate tender process and why do you think it doesn't matter that there wasn't transparency in relation to that process? Finally, does the minister agree with her own science agencies on reef health and key threats? I note that she defended the member for Leichhardt's contribution on the issue of bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Does the minister accept that the reef envoy was incorrect in his claims that there had been bleaching of that nature at— (Time expired)

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