Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Milne for moving these amendments and the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator Feeney, for his comments. I highlighted earlier when speaking to amendments moved by Senator Cormann on behalf of the opposition the concerns of the government of Western Australia about the implications of the native title treatment in this legislation. Again I highlight the one particularly relevant statement of the Premier of Western Australia, Mr Barnett, about this issue:

… the Bill, by clear negative implication, indicates that the relevant State Minister does not hold an "eligible interest" in State Crown land if that land is not Torrens system land and is subject to a determination of exclusive possession native title.

Parliamentary Secretary, you indicated in your response that you are continuing discussions with stakeholders and that those stakeholders include the state governments. Can you indicate in a little more detail to the chamber the nature of those negotiations, whether they particularly involve the government of Western Australia, whether they particularly relate to the concerns that the Premier of Western Australia has highlighted and whether there are any implications from the amendments moved by Senator Milne for the concerns that the Premier of Western Australia highlighted?