Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wang for his question and understand and appreciate his interest and the commitment that he has demonstrated in the chamber during his time here in relation to farmers and the agricultural sector. It is an interest that Senator Lazarus and the Palmer United Party generally have spoken about. This government is committed to reducing red tape and the regulatory burden on all Australian businesses, including Australian farmers and primary producers. We are committed to doing all we possibly can to ease the cost of doing business, to axe red tape and to axe green tape wherever it is unnecessary.

In the environment space, we are committed to our one-stop shop reforms around environmental regulation. We are committed to delivering those because we believe that it will provide a better outcome for all of those who need to seek environmental approvals. They will only need to work through one process of assessments and one process of approvals rather than working through a state process as well is a separate federal process. We are in the process of working through these changes with each of the states and territories, but we are absolutely determined to implement this policy in a way that reduces the cost and regulatory burden for farmers and for anybody dealing with the environmental approvals framework.

Senator Wang, in relation to the particular issue you raise about liaison officers, I will happily have a discussion with you about that. I do not have specific information in relation to those positions available at this time, but I will be more than happy to work with you to bring some information back to you in due course in regard to those positions.