Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

It was clear—and we've seen it demonstrated again today—that neither the Greens political party nor the coalition was prepared to come to a sensible conclusion on the nature-positive laws, and for that reason we're not proceeding with them this term.

On the second issue in your question, regarding the workers at Macquarie Harbour, there is no-one in this chamber or this parliament who has fought harder for the workers at Macquarie Harbour than Senator Urquhart, who was onto this issue of supporting those workers well before the opportunists that we see opposite us or anyone else in this chamber. Senator Urquhart had me down there when I held the agriculture and fisheries portfolio. She's had Senator Gallagher down there a couple of times. She's had the Prime Minister and Senator Farrell down there—and numerous others—listening to the local community and working with them as Minister Plibersek makes her decision. We are strong supporters of the salmon industry. Of course the laws need to be complied with, and I know that Minister Plibersek is taking this into account right now.