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

Well, to say that this is a budget of missed opportunities would I think be an extreme understatement, which is unfortunate not only the people of Tasmania that both you and I, Acting Deputy President Polley, represent but also for Australia's environment. As the shadow minister for the environment, I get the opportunity to have a very close look at what this government is doing—or what they at least say they're doing—in relation to environmental policy. And not only is it a budget of missed opportunities, as I said, but it's far worse.

Before the last election and not long afterwards, we were promised that this government would bring in what they call the Nature Positive Plan—that we would have laws that would be better for the environment and better for business. And it was referenced in this budget—not because things are on track, not because things are going well, not because the policies and promises that were made by the government in the lead-up to the election were honoured but because they have not been. Part of that promise around the Nature Positive Plan relates to the fact that those laws that were supposed to be better for the environment and better for business—a great little catchphrase—would be in parliament by the end of last year.