Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister outline to the House how the importance of the Morrison government's stable and certain economic management is ensuring the protection of our environment? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I thank the member for Wentworth for his question and for his ongoing interest and engagement in environmental policies. The Morrison government is providing sensible, stable government with a certain approach when it comes to managing the environment with a plan that all Australians will endorse and did endorse at the last election, and the sort of funding you only get from a well-managed budget.

I want to outline some of the key policies—I'm already ready to give the Labor Party ideas. We have a $100 million Environment Restoration Fund to support major environmental projects across the country—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister pause. The level of interjections is becoming ridiculously high. There are conversations going on everywhere. I'm not going to get upset about it; I'm just going to act on it. For those interjecting, I'm going to remind you of two things. One is for me to make use of standing order 94(a). You'll see in the Practice and the standing orders that that can happen at any time without a warning. The only other option I have, if I feel that is not getting members' attention, frankly, is to name someone. The minister has the call.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our key policies include a $100 million Environment Restoration Fund to support major environmental projects complemented by our community's environment program, available to members opposite as well as this side of the House, in individual electorates for individual groups and organisations. We have put the work into developing new long-term strategies for Antarctica and threatened species and marine park management. It continues to be world leading.

We have a $167 million Recycling Investment Fund, increasing recycling rates, tackling plastic and halving food waste. The leadership shown by the Prime Minister on ending exports of paper, glass, tyres and plastic is providing certainty to businesses who want to be proactive in this space. As the assistant minister and I conduct roundtables around the country, we're finding the private sector ready and willing to step up and participate in this major microeconomic reform because they see economic opportunity in the circular economy. Why? Well, there are more than nine new Australian jobs created for every 10,000 tonnes of waste that is recycled correctly. We are laying the groundwork to continue our 36 months of continuous job growth well into the future. Recycling and remanufacturing brings jobs wherever you see it.

This certainty and engagement does give business the confidence to continue to invest and grow in this vital circular economy. It is in total contrast to the lack of policy from those opposite, because, unfortunately, since the election what we have seen from Labor is nothing close to an environment policy—just empty press releases and the panicked parliamentary stunt that we saw in this place. We don't know Labor's policy on waste and recycling, we don't know Labor's stance on threatened species management, we don't know Labor's Antarctic position, we don't know Labor's plan for the reef, and we don't know Labor's plan for Indigenous protected areas, land care, marine park management or soils. But every Australian does know what we are doing in this incredibly important space.

Australians care deeply about the environment. They want to see practical policies and stable leadership, rather than thought bubbles that appear one minute and disappear the next. Confidence, building real change and doing things better is a Liberal government.