Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

First, I would first make the point—and I'm not sure which matters Senator Duniam is referring to—that, if decisions are made in relation to environmental legislation which have an effect on development, they are decisions made by a judicial authority. What he seems to be suggesting is that we should avoid having the law of the land apply, by making sure we don't fund people.

There are times, I'm sure, where I may not, others may not and members of this Senate do not agree with actions the EDO takes, but this is a body that provides legal advocacy. We do believe in the system of the rule of law. We do believe that individuals and entities have a right to be heard in our legal system, and this enables them to do that. I know those opposite want to shut down different voices. I know that's the approach you take. We all remember the gag clauses, don't we, that NGOs were funded with? I know that, despite your talk about freedom of speech, actually the institutions of a democracy, which include people taking legal action with which governments don't agree, are part of our system of democracy.