Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. How is the Albanese Labor government acting to protect the Great Barrier Reef, and how is the world responding to these actions?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Fisher. I've been clear on this before. The minister hasn't even begun. This has got to stop. When ministers are approaching the dispatch box—particularly some ministers—that is not the time to begin interjecting. If that continues, people will be asked to leave the chamber. The Minister for the Environment and Water has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker; I appreciate that. And I appreciate the question from the member for Moreton. I know he is a proud Queenslander and a strong environmentalist, and he would be delighted, as we all are, to hear that overnight UNESCO has agreed that they will not recommend an in-danger listing for the Great Barrier Reef. That of course is a relief for the 64,000 people who rely on the reef for their jobs, for all Queenslanders and for all Australians, because the reef of course is a very special place for all Australians.

The fact is, though, that the World Heritage listing of the reef means that this place is special not just for Australians; it is globally significant. And the fact that before the election UNESCO was proposing to list the reef as in danger and that since the election they have changed their mind and recognised the work that our government is doing to protect the reef is also globally significant.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The thing that's changed between the original—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. I assume that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition wants to stay for the MPI this afternoon. So, she will cease interjecting. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's changed between the original position, where UNESCO was going to list the reef as in danger, and now, when they're not proposing to list the reef as in danger? What's changed? The government. There is now a government that recognises the importance of climate change.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Barker.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's changed is that there is a government that is committed to action on climate change. In fact, sources close to UNESCO said to Le Monde that between the previous government and this government it's a bit like night and day. Of course, they're talking about our increased investment in the reef—doubling funding for reef science, investing more in getting Indigenous rangers out there dealing with crown-of-thorns starfish and marine science, cancelling damaging dam projects that were going to affect water quality, and an additional $150 million for gully stabilisation, for making sure that we're not seeing masses of mud flowing out onto the reef. We're improving water quality, working with farmers—banana farmers, pastoralists, sugarcane farmers—to reduce nutrient load going onto the reef, and dealing with overfishing. In fact, we're phasing out gillnet fishing on the reef, something that's been talked about for decades but never done by those opposite.

I'm so proud of the fact that the international community is recognising the efforts of the Albanese Labor government to tackle climate change, to do our share. (Time expired)

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition?

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

Mr Speaker, I just wondered if I could move an extension of time so that the minister could go into further detail about the $1.2 billion—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat. The Leader of the House?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was clearly a frivolous point of order, and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is on a warning.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House makes a good point. Just for the benefit of everyone in the House, if the Deputy Leader of the Opposition interjects one more time she'll be asked to leave the chamber under standing order 94(a) and there won't be an MPI this afternoon. I hope everyone understands that.