Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to respond to a couple of things that Greens senators have raised this morning in support of their bill, known as the Landholders' Right to Refuse (Gas and Coal) Bill 2013, and indicate quite unequivocally that the position of the Labor Party—the opposition in this parliament—is to oppose this legislation, which Senator Milne seemed a little bit surprised about. It should not have come as any surprise because, when a previous version of this bill was raised in 2011, it was the policy of the Labor Party, then in government, to oppose this legislation. It should not have come as any surprise to Senator Milne that we do not support this legislation. We do not support it for very good reasons, which I will go into in a moment. We particularly do not support it because we believe that the coal seam gas industry and agricultural land can coexist. It is not an either/or scenario.

Senator Waters interjecting—

Senator, I was quiet throughout all of your speech. I listened to what you had to say in silence. I am not sure why you cannot offer me the same courtesy.