Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

First and foremost, I reject the underlying premise of the accusations that are being made by Senator Waters. The decisions in relation to the exploration and the extraction of valuable resources that belong to the Australian public are undertaken by independent and thorough means.

The importance of this sector to Australia cannot be understated. The importance to our rural and regional communities—because of the economic development, because of the jobs that are created—and the broader impact that it has on the Australian economy cannot be understated. To suggest that there is anything but a robust, transparent, defensible process that is undertaken to ensure that the extraction of these particular resources on behalf of every Australian is completely and utterly false. I would suggest the importance of making sure that we continue to meet all of our obligations, we continue to consult and we continue to have a transparent process is absolutely there for every Australian to see, and I don't know why you can't see it either.