Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

At the outset I want to recommit the coalition's view that, when it comes to environmental laws, we need to have balance. We need to balance economic needs against environmental needs and make sure we have an economy that's functioning while we have an environment that sustains life. That is paramount in this debate, and it sometimes gets lost. We shouldn't have it too far one way or too far the other way.

This motion doesn't achieve balance. There is inflammatory language, and at the end of the day, as evidenced by what we've just heard and, indeed, from some of the remarks earlier in the day, it is leading us to a point that is really just about saying no to these projects. They'll say it's about assessments but they will say it is all about 'no' at the end of it: 'We just don't want these projects to happen.' That doesn't take account—