Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Eggleston for his contribution, because I think it does begin the conversation again. People want to have this conversation and I think that it is helpful that a reasoned argument like that is on the public record to enable that to happen.

To Senator Macdonald, I say that Labor’s policy is very clear. All he has to do is refer to the party platform. Labor supports uranium mining with the world’s best practice environmental safeguards in place. It is very clear. If you go to the ALP website you will find it in the national platform, Senator Macdonald.

This bill is directed at applying a royalty regime to all new mining projects in the Northern Territory containing uranium and other designated substances such as thorium—an issue that I know is of interest, particularly to Senator Heffernan—and that is consistent with the royalty regime that applies to other minerals mined in the Northern Territory. Therefore I commend the bill to the Senate.