David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. How many hectares of native vegetation are designated to be cleared to develop the 60 renewable energy projects you announced in question time yesterday?

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

I want to thank the Leader of the National Party for that question. I want to say that it's obvious that it depends on the renewable energy project itself as to how much vegetation would have to be cleared. In some cases, very little vegetation will be cleared. If we're talking about—

Well, it depends on the project. There are 60 of them right across the country. But I can understand why the Nationals are so sensitive about this. While they were in government there were 22 separate energy policies, and they didn't land a single one of them.

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

Order! I want to hear from the Leader of the Nationals on a point of order.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, that was a very tight question. I seek your ruling. It was a very specific question about the number of hectares in the announcement made yesterday. There was no compare and contrast. It was a very tight question. I seek your ruling, Mr Speaker.

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

I want to make sure the minister is adhering to standing orders. She wasn't asked about any other alternative policy. She won't be able to compare or contrast. I can appreciate the leader would like a figure or a number, but, as I have said time and time again, I can't compel the minister to give a specific number or figure. She'll need to remain relevant to the questions about the native vegetation schedule that has been cleared, or the number that has been cleared and the measures mentioned in her answer in question time yesterday, and not a lot of other topics can be brought into the answer. She has the call.

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

We're working with proponents on all of these projects to minimise any impact on matters of national environmental significance, and that would include land clearing where it's necessary. But it's interesting that the Leader of the Nationals is only interested in land clearing when it comes to renewable energy projects. He's not interested in land clearing if it's a mining project, he's not interested in land clearing if it's a housing project, and he's not interested in land clearing when it's the shadow Treasurer poisoning grasslands with his company's—

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right.

The member for Hasluck will leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Hasluck then left the chamber.

We're not having interjections when I'm taking points of order. Rules apply to everyone inside the chamber. The opposition manager on a point of order.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Standing order 91(c) says that a member's conduct is disorderly if the member wilfully refuses to conform to a standing order. Now, you've given the minister a very clear direction in terms of relevance. She's flouting that direction, and I submit to you that she's in breach of the standing orders.

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

I'll hear from the Leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the point of order, at the exact moment that the opposition manager the rose to his feet, the minister was talking about land clearing. It was an exact example of land clearing.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right. The member for Wannon is entitled to raise a point of order.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Speaker. The minister also made an unparliamentary slur against the shadow Treasurer, and I would ask that she withdraw that.

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! The shadow Treasurer will not be baited by any interjections. I'll deal with this matter. I assume it was about the remark regarding the member for Hume. I'm just going to ask the minister to withdraw that comment and confine her remarks—to assist the House—to the question she was asked. She's entitled to talk about land clearing and native vegetation, but I'll be listening very carefully to make sure she is being directly relevant.

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

I mean, native vegetation does include rare grasslands—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Just pause a moment. To assist the House, I've asked the minister to withdraw.

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

To pay respect to you, Mr Speaker, I do that; I withdraw.

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

The member for Wannon, I'll handle this.

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

I withdraw.

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

Thank you. The minister will continue to be directly relevant.

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

Mr Speaker, I've got a great quote here from the Leader of the Nationals about clearing—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! We're going to do this the right way, but if this continues on for too much longer we won't be taking points of order. Question time can't descend into this behaviour. The member for New England on a point of order.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wonder if the minister would be able to table the document that was handed behind the dispatch box to the Prime Minister to her.

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

Resume your seat. Is the minister reading from confidential documents?

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

It's a confidential document, Mr Speaker, but there are some elements that I would like to share with the chamber, if that's okay.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition and members on my left are going to remain silent.

The 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

One of them is a quote from the member for New England: 'We've made massive investments into renewable energy; I made sure it happened.' Another is from the member for Maranoa: 'We actually want Maranoa to become the renewable energy electorate. Western Downs Shire is screaming at me to become the renewable energy shire of the country with solar and wind.' We've got another one from the member for Farrah: 'I'm so proud that the biggest renewable energy producer is right here in Yenda.'

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

Order! The Leader of the Nationals will cease interjecting. The minister has to return to the question.

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

Each one of these projects required some land-clearing. If the projects are good project then they go ahead. That's how we make decisions. (Time expired)