Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Hansard source

The Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2006 is a bill that ought be rejected by this chamber. The opposition will be voting against this bill. I move the second reading amendment which has been circulated in my name to give effect to this opposition:

At the end of the motion, add:

“but the Senate:

        (a)    expresses its serious concern that:

              (i)    the bill is being rushed through the Parliament without proper consideration or consultation,

             (ii)    the Howard Government has failed to halt the decline in Australia’s natural environment and best agricultural land,

            (iii)    the bill contains no measures to cut Australia’s spiralling greenhouse pollution or protect Australia from dangerous climate change,

            (iv)    the bill will increase the Howard Government’s politicisation of environment and heritage protection, and

             (v)    many of the proposed changes in the bill will reduce ministerial accountability and opportunities for genuine public consultation;

        (b)    Therefore calls on the Howard Government to:

              (i)    ensure climate change is properly factored into environmental decision-making under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999,

             (ii)    establish a climate change trigger in the Act to ensure large scale greenhouse polluting projects are assessed by the Federal Government, and

            (iii)    allow greater time for public consultation and debate on the bill”.

The amendment points out—