Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, as I said, there is no greater level of capacity to be able to make decisions without due process under this organisation than there is under any other organisation. There is an established process under which these projects have to be assessed. I hark back to my point that the minister can only make a determination on a project that has been put forward by a state or territory government. So, within the operating mandate of the corporation and within the advice, there are a whole heap of things that the minister is required to do before making a determination in relation to a project. But you are quite right: this is a matter for government and cabinet, and the government has the ultimate power in this to make a determination in relation to a project that has been recommended.