Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the amendment that has been moved to the government's amendment. It is absolutely essential that we have a fulsome and fair dinkum inquiry into these government bills because, as Senator McKim has just so articulately described, it is a broken promise from this government. The government told the Australian people that they would strengthen and fix Australia's environment laws and they haven't. They've dumped the promise to do that, and all we've got now is a piece of legislation that is nothing more than a name change and a desk reshuffle. That's what is on the table. There is no point in having someone else inside the environment department whose job it is to simply implement the broken laws of that department and of that minister.

It is as clear as day to anybody watching that Australia's environment laws are broken. They are failing to protect nature, they are failing to stop the destruction of habitat, they are failing to stop the extinction of our wildlife and they are allowing the Minister for the Environment and Water to approve polluting coal and gas projects. What does the minister say about this? 'My hands are tied. My hands are tied.' Oh, give us a break! Do something to protect the environment by acting to protect the environment and stop these polluting projects from going ahead.

The current laws allow the destruction of our native forests. We're in 2024, in an environment and climate change crisis, and the federal environment minister can't protect native forests in this country. You know there are a lot of things that need to be fixed with our environment laws, yet what we've got on the table from this government does nothing to correct the situation. In fact, it might even be worse because what it will do is fast-track the approval of destruction. Rather than putting in place rules that give the minister the power to protect, it's going to give bureaucrats the power to fast-track destruction, making the situation even worse.

The Greens are prepared to talk to the government about how we can help fix the environment laws. There are two really simple things they need to do: stop approving the destruction of our native forests, and stop approving new coal and gas mines that continue to destroy habitat and make the climate crisis even worse. When you ask average, everyday Australians about our environment laws and you tell them that they do not even consider the impact on climate change of projects and mines, people are shocked. They think this is crazy. What is the point of environment laws if they don't protect the environment? I would put this to you, President: what is the point of having an environment minister if the environment minister won't protect the environment?

Of course, it is no surprise that today we have the colluding of the Labor Party and the Liberal Party on these bills. That is no surprise at all because—I tell you what?—the big mining industries, the big polluters, the gas lobby and the coal lobby desperately want these rules passed. It's good for them and bad for nature. So what have they done? They've picked up the phone to their mates in the Labor Party and they've picked up the phone to their mates in the Liberal Party and they've said, 'Can you guys just work this out? Get it done. Don't let the Greens have a say over this, because someone might stand up for the environment.' Is it any surprise that this collusion between the coalition and the Labor Party to do the bidding of the big miners has come only days after the minister for the environment approved a new gas mine and a whole lot of wells for Gina Rinehart. (Time expired)