Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment and Heritage and Minister representing the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Can the minister confirm his support for the minister for transport’s decision to approve the development of the proposed BGC brickworks at Perth Airport? Hasn’t the minister supported this project despite serious concerns being raised with him by his department, including: the department cannot be confident that the proposal will not result in adverse health impacts; the proposal should not be approved until the long-term monitoring of five existing neighbourhood brickworks, which might take several years, is completed; and the company had not conducted any surveys on the site to evaluate its use by threatened species? Isn’t there also significant community opposition to the project going ahead? Given the minister’s constant assertions about the importance of community opposition, and the health and environmental issues raised by his department, can he explain why he was happy to rush ahead and give the environmental tick to this project?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for the question. It is probably a good lesson for people, because if you do not know something you should ask questions; we encourage people to ask questions. It is quite clear from Senator Sterle’s question that he knows very little about this process. I am happy to inform all senators about this project, because the Australian Labor Party in Western Australia seeks to mislead the people of Western Australia on a regular basis on this.

Senator Sterle correctly—and this is one of the few bits of correct information in the question—draws our attention to a serious deficiency in Western Australia: the lack of a monitoring regime for pollutants coming from brickworks in the Midland, Guildford and Hazelmere area. The environmental assessment report, which I released in full a few weeks ago, goes very much to the point that the Western Australian Labor government has totally failed the people of the Swan Valley, Guildford and Hazelmere because it does not have in place a monitoring regime. If Senator Sterle were smart enough to read the approval that Mr Truss gave to the brickworks proposal, which contained 60 stringent environmental conditions, he would see that the proponents—the Perth Airport Corporation—are required to put in place a monitoring regime because none exists in Western Australia under his state comrades’ regime. I remind all senators that the Western Australian Labor state government—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don’t blame the state government.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Who regulates the pollution coming from brickworks in Western Australia?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order to do with relevance. I thought that the minister was interested in running in the House of Representatives, not in state parliament. He was asked a direct question about whether or not he approved this project as minister for the environment. Again, he wants to talk about anything rather than answer for his responsibilities. I would ask you to refer him to the question.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear your point of order. I remind the minister that he has two minutes to complete his answer.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I respond to the point of order?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! What is the point of order?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am responding to the point of order. The point of order raised by Senator Evans says that I should not refer to state government processes. The reality is that brickworks—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The point of order that Senator Evans raised was on relevance. I remind you that you have two minutes to complete your answer. I draw your attention to the question.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Commonwealth went through a robust and lengthy environmental assessment process that involved a public discussion period of no less than 90 days. Less than 1,000 yards away from the Perth Airport proposal, there are two kilns that were built and approved by—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Did you approve it?

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Evans!

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

the state Labor government with no public discussion process, no environmental approvals process and no monitoring. The point needs to be made that Senator Sterle’s comrades in Western Australia—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Did you approve it?

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Evans!

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

approved two kilns less than a mile away from the proposal that Mr Truss and the Australian government have just approved. Those kilns will emit fluoride into the atmosphere at something like five times the allowable limit—with no monitoring. The brickworks proposal that Senator Sterle wants to play politics with will produce one-tenth of the fluoride. The challenge for the Australian Labor Party—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is your challenge.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans!

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is to say to their comrades back in Western Australia, ‘You make sure that you impose the same standards on your brickworks that the federal government is imposing on the brickworks at the airport.’ These are the strictest environmental standards anywhere in Australia—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senators on my left will come to order. I remind the minister to address his remarks through the chair.

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The challenge for the Australian Labor Party is this: if they care about the health of the people who live in the Swan Valley, Hazelmere and Guildford, they will go back to their comrades in Western Australia and say to them, ‘The state Labor Party should impose—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chris Evans interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans, you are warned!

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. I am warning you to come to order. I have asked you all day today to come to order and you have refused to obey the chair.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, until you require ministers to give relevant answers, the place will get disorderly.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I presume that you are not reflecting on the chair.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, Mr President, I am raising the point that—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am on my feet.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You asked me a question.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. I believe that you are reflecting on the chair, and I would ask you not to do that. There is no point of order. I ask Senator Campbell to return to the question.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: I raise standing order 184, which I think that many senators in this chamber should be aware of. It is one that to the best of my knowledge, when I first came to this place as an opposition member, was adhered to strictly—although it is only Senator Ray, Senator Faulker and Senator Sherry who were here at that time. That standing order says that when the President stands on his feet, a senator speaking shall resume his seat and shall remain silent so the President can address the chamber uninterrupted. It seems in recent times as though many new senators are not aware of that standing order, and I draw your attention to it.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are we going to have a debate on the standing orders now? I call Senator Faulkner.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: I noted earlier in question time today that you did not call Senator Vanstone to order as she was screaming and gesticulating across the chamber while you were on your feet. Fair enough: criticise Senator Evans by all means, but I am afraid a number of senators in question time today have remained on their feet while you have been on your feet. The standing order that Senator Ferguson refers to, in my memory, requires you, Mr President, to maintain order in the Senate.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for that advice, Senator Faulkner. I will have something more to say shortly about that matter occurring earlier in the proceedings.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister aware that, under the Airports Act, development at airports has to be incidental to the operation of the airport? Can the minister explain how the development of brickworks could possibly be described as being incidental activity? What other activities does the government now consider to be incidental developments? Would wind farms also be considered to be incidental?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The proposal for the construction of a brickworks at Perth Airport has been through the most rigorous environmental assessment by my department. It has been considered by Mr Truss. It has been approved with 60 of the most rigorous environmental conditions, way over and above those on any brickworks in Australia. That is in stark contrast to the fact that the state Labor Party has approved two new brickwork kilns less than a kilometre away. I table the Environmental Protection Authority process that basically says that neither of these kilns approved by Senator Sterle’s comrades in the state parliament went through any public process. There was no environmental assessment and they are pumping pollution into the Swan Valley airshed with no approvals and no monitoring. The Labor Party are absolute hypocrites on this issue. I table the document.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.