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

This is another embarrassing attempt by Senator Canavan, who seems to have neglected to realise that Minister Hunt has made yet another error in applying the environmental laws that he, as the environment minister, really should be better familiar with. He is now seeking to demonise mums and dads, community members and, in this instance, the Australian Conservation Foundation. It has stood up, gone to the court and said, 'Actually, the minister really shouldn't forget about the climate change impacts on the Great Barrier Reef when he is approving the Southern Hemisphere's largest coal mine.' I am really thrilled and pleased that the ACF has taken this stance. Senator Canavan's notion seems to be that you are only allowed to care about the Great Barrier Reef if you live next door to it. Well, I have news for him: Australians are very proud of our Great Barrier Reef and the 60,000 jobs that it provides, and they want laws to protect it upheld and not ignored by the minister at the behest of the mining industry.