Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Ludwig, and now we have Senator Conroy. When you do not have one person handling the bill, this is what happens. I have put it on the record and I am putting it on again: it has nothing to do with whether it is on page 3, 4, 5 or anywhere in the bill. The point is climate change is one of the additional functions; it is not a primary function. In the next paragraph of the bill it says quite clearly that this additional function, climate change advice, can be given not even at the discretion of Infrastructure Australia but only at the request of the minister. So it is not about whether it is an additional function or a primary function in the sense of where it is in the legislation; it is the fact that Infrastructure Australia is required to give advice on the primary functions, but it performs the additional functions only at the discretion of the minister. That is my point. That means the government can pick and choose as to when it seeks advice in relation to greenhouse gas emissions and can choose not to do so.

So, Senator Conroy, I thank you for that. I do appreciate it is in the legislation. I have read the bill. We argued it for several hours yesterday. I want to put on the record again that it is that point—that it is a discretionary consideration and not a core consideration—that has been our issue, because it allows the government not to consider it. It is a function that Infrastructure Australia cannot choose to perform if it wants to. It specifically says ‘at the discretion of the minister’, and that is our point. That is why Senator Allison was just trying yet again, as we both tried to do yesterday, to get a commitment from the government that it would be a core consideration. We now have your word for it, even though it is not in the bill, so we will be coming back to you, Minister. Let me assure you: we will be coming back to you since you have given us your personal assurance.