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

Thank you, Senator McDonald, for the question. I think that really goes to the same issue that Senator McAllister has responded to on numerous occasions in relation to questions on that side—that is, that the environment minister has a statutory role under the legislation, which, from recollection, was actually passed whilst the Liberal Party was in government. I may be wrong on that, but certainly the original federal legislation—

An opposition senator: We would have applied it a little bit differently.

Fair enough. She has a responsibility under the law and the minister has sought to apply the law.