Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I do not know if that can be construed as a response to my very clear question, so I will come back to that point. There were a number of assertions there that were inaccurate and misrepresented points that I had made. Senator Abetz seems to think that I think state and federal bureaucrats are somehow different in their competencies. I did not suggest that at all. The fact remains—and I cannot believe I have to explain to Senator Abetz—that legislation guides decision making and when legislative rules are different you get different decisions. That is the point about you saying that the federal standards do not need to be reflected in state laws—ergo they will not be complied with; ergo different decisions will be made. It is quite shocking that we are having this level of debate. I am really quite disheartened. I was already disheartened in this government, but I am truly shocked that Senator Abetz seems to be having difficulty with basic concepts, given the seniority of his role. I do not wish to descend into personal insults; I am simply flabbergasted. Be that as it may, could I please have an answer to the question about whether there were representations made at any stage since 2008, when this Water Act provision was inserted, by the mining industry, in any of its guises, to have it removed? That was my simple question. I am happy if the answer is no—then it was your own silly idea—but I would like to know whose idea it was.