Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

So we are going to spend $150 million on committee proceedings which ensure that the gutless people in this parliament and the Commonwealth, the ones who do not want to have ownership of or anything to do with the ownership of the coal seam gas industry, have political cover. So we set up a committee which is going to do an investigation which no-one has to give any effect to and in doing that there is the cost of the political cover on which the minister said, 'The main thing you've got to understand, mate, is we don't want to own this problem.' We are going through this facade of science gathering by these eminent people, whomever they are and they could be political stooges for all I know, to maintain the apparition that somehow 'we are concerned but our concern is that we don't own the problem'. Can you explain to me as to that $150 million, Minister, what is the expected expenditure rate over what period for how many people?