Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I feel as if I have given three speeches on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013. The issue is that the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act will be utilised to give greater oversight over protection of the aquifers. It is something that we are supporting. I think this is very important for former Gunnedah mayor, John Lyle, for his wife, Suzie, for people such as Xavier Martin, and for other people on the plains around Breeza and other places east of the Condamine River—people who have a serious concern about that. So let's clearly state that we are supporting this. After debate, after lobbying and after working hard on their behalf, we are supporting this.

But I think it also needs to be stated that you can understand the frustration that is held by the government when one of the so-called champions of this, Mr Windsor, seems to want to sit on both sides of the fence. That is clearly understood because he sold his place to a coal miner. He sold it not just for an ordinary price but for an extremely good price—almost $5,000 an acre. He has been highly sensitive about this. We could see that the other day when I was accosted in the media gallery about this issue. He wanted to, as he said, take it outside. Obviously, the impending threat of litigation, which of course you just do not have the resources to do—