Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

In terms of the Victorian National Party's position on this, as the rightful, constitutionally legal, area for approving these sorts of projects, I completely back the Victorian Nationals' perspective on coal seam gas development. I think we all should be actually focusing on the fact that we need processes in place when any development takes place in communities so that consultation is appropriate and rigorous and that we include community but we also include industry and that it is based on well-evidenced research.

Too often when these sorts of issues come before us for public debate, we have emotive responses not actually driven by hard science. As a scientist, I would appreciate the Greens, in particular, not using scientists and scientific methodology willy-nilly. You are either for it or you are not. You cannot apply it to policy positions on a whim. It is all or nothing with science. You should not be hiding behind the veil of requiring scientific evidence sometimes and then conveniently using emotive arguments on the other hand to persuade the public to your very, very poor policy positions.

I have many more things to say on this, Mr Acting Deputy President, but I have an estimates committee to chair and I know there are other senators who are keen to speak, so I cede.