Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Macdonald for his contribution and echo his comments. I say to Senator Waters: you can assert that I have somehow conceded that it is not duplicative. I am sorry; no such thing occurred. In relation to lobbying—and I do not know which track you were going down—I am minded of the fact that the Greens are still the beneficiaries of the largest donation ever made in Australian history, that the person who made it said that he thought it was a very good investment and your former leader said he would be forever grateful. We saw how that all turned out in the destruction of jobs in my home state of Tasmania.

Senator Waters then referred to internationally recognised watercourses. If they are internationally recognised, they would be under the World Heritage or Ramsar listed wetlands, and that of course would trigger the provisions of the EPBC Act. If we want to talk about 'internationally recognised', then of course they are covered by the EPBC Act. I reiterate that, under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, there have to be plans submitted in relation to sustainable diversion limits, on water and of water. I am not sure with what greater moral authority Commonwealth bureaucrats might be clothed than state bureaucrats. I believe that both state and federal bureaucrats are honest, diligent and committed to doing their task in a professional manner. To try to suggest that just because a Commonwealth official might do something it will, by necessity, be of a higher standard than that of a state official—I am sorry, I do not agree with that view of the world.