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

My question without notice is to Senator Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment and Heritage. Can the minister confirm that the proponents of the Bald Hills wind farm have once again had to threaten court action to force the minister to do his job? Doesn’t this follow the minister’s abuse of his powers in April this year when he blocked the original proposal on the spurious claim that it would lead to the extinction of the orange-bellied parrot? Wasn’t the minister’s political favour to the member for McMillan exposed when he was forced to settle out of court, pay the costs of Windpower and agree to reconsider the project? Why is the minister continuing to abuse his powers by once again holding up the approval of the project and again exposing taxpayers to financial risk?