Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The problem with our current environment laws is that they don't protect the environment. Under our current environmental laws, the destruction of the environment is lawful. The bleaching of the iconic Great Barrier Reef is legal. The warming oceans caused by mining and burning of coal and gas is above board. The extinction crisis is consistent with the current statutes. The overextraction of water from the Murray-Darling, a lifeblood of the south-east of Australia, is lawful. The ripping up of ancient native forest to be turned into woodchips is government approved. Under our current laws, the destruction of the world is lawful. When the crossbench says, 'Let's get on with fixing our environment laws to tackle the No. 1 threat to our environment: climate change,' the environment minister flees the chamber and doesn't even come and attend to defend Labor's delay in fixing our environment laws. And we found out today in question time why.

We know that the leading cause of the climate crisis, and the biggest threat to our environment, is mining and burning of coal and gas, yet Labor keeps approving more. In this year alone, Labor has given the go-ahead to five coal projects. And today, in question time, when asked if the minister will stop approving new coal and gas projects, the minister said no. Today Labor nailed their colours to the mast and said that they will keep approving new coal and gas projects, even at a time when this country heads towards the worst forecast summer since the Black Summer, even as we hear that thousands—over 10,000 people—are missing in Libya because of climate induced floods and even as we have fires burning across the globe and threatening us again this summer. But, under the current laws, a coal and gas project gets approved even if it makes the climate crisis worse and threatens our environment.

This is the way that Labor wants the laws to be. It's no doubt why the environment minister is not here defending the status quo. It's because Labor and Liberal are more concerned with Woodside and Santos than they are with the Great Barrier Reef and the Lower Lakes of the Coorong. They're more worried about protecting the big gas corporations in the Beetaloo Basin than the people of this country. Like on so many problems plaguing this country, Labor gives too much power to the big corporations and the billionaires.

The Greens don't think it's too much to ask that laws designed to protect the environment simply protect the environment. We need laws that—wait for it—protect the environment. The environment—the reefs, the rivers, the mountains and the forests—needs protection from coal and gas corporations, from overextraction and from corporations seeking to damage them for profit.

These laws are urgent, and we need them now, but under Labor these laws have been delayed. What hasn't been delayed, though, or paused or put on hold is Labor's love for coal and gas. Labor has approved five coal projects this year alone but can't bring new environment laws to this parliament. These mines approved by the environment minister alone will create 150 million tonnes of pollution, contributing to more extinctions, death and destruction.

Real environment laws—laws which protected the environment—would have blocked these coal and gas projects. The minimum needed is no more coal and gas projects. Stop approving new projects. That's what the environment needs.

So, until that's done, we urge the minister to stop posing with koalas; stop bringing a watering can to a forest fire, while at the same time fuelling that fire by approving more coal and gas. We need a climate trigger inserted into our environment laws now. We need a ban on the needless destruction of native forests, these ancient and majestic carbon stores and critical habitats. They must be protected. We want an end to the extinction crisis. The public are fed up with big corporations getting the power to trash the environment, and they won't accept Labor breaking their promise to protect the environment. Koala selfies from a minister won't cut it. We deserve environment laws which protect the environment. We want a Great Barrier Reef which people want to come and see, not one bleached by coal projects. We want a Murray-Darling Basin which doesn't leave South Australia high and dry, and we reckon Tasmania's forests are worth more standing up. The minister needs to decide: is she the minister for the environment or the minister against it? Stop approving coal and gas projects.

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