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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Senator Conroy. Given that Gunns has had two years, from 5 January 2009 to 3 March 2011, to complete all of its documentation for its Tamar Valley pulp mill project, knowing that a final decision was to be made on 3 March, why did Minister Burke concede to the company’s request, made one day before the deadline, for a delay, on the company’s say-so that it wanted tougher conditions? Why shouldn’t the community conclude that the minister has had the wool pulled over his eyes by a company addicted to delay, failure to meet deadlines and refusal to adhere to the original assessment process because it was too rigorous?