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

Senator Waters need not get so indignant, especially when really she is starting to stretch her questions into what we all know is sitting behind this, and that is the desire of the Greens to have a debate about native forest activity in general. That is perfectly fine; the Greens are entitled to debate the forestry activities in native forests if they like. There are many opportunities in the Senate to debate that. I am attempting to answer the questions of the Greens where I think they clearly relate to the amendments that are before us and the legislation that is before us. I am not going to waste the time of the Senate and of senators by going into broad-ranging assessments of the implications of native forestry activities. This legislation, firstly, is about ensuring that the RET operates successfully into the future and achieves 23 per cent of renewable energy generation by 2020 and, secondly, provides for the reinstatement of native forest wood waste as an eligible source with the safeguards that were in place and operated for more than a decade. I think that has been well debated in the chamber, over many hours, with the previous amendment and now this one. Whilst I will endeavour to help senators where their questions go to the operation of the legislation, I am not going to take up endless time just because the Greens are playing a tag team with questions on a far broader issue that they could raise through other avenues.