Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Minchin. Given the collapse of the Commonwealth-accredited joint assessment process for the proposed Gunns pulp mill in Tasmania, brought about by Gunns’ withdrawal from the process; given the subsequent Tasmanian government-proposed fast-tracking of a new Gunns-approved assessment process; and given revelations today that Premier Lennon failed to disclose the extent to which he actively and secretly intervened to facilitate Gunns by promising them legislation to shorten the assessment process before their report to the Stock Exchange and then brought pressure to bear on the Hon. Chris Wright, chair of the RPDC pulp mill assessment panel, to agree to it, will the Commonwealth now consider establishing a royal commission into the Tasmanian pulp mill affair to establish whether there has been collusion over the assessment process between Gunns, Premier Lennon and the Tasmanian government?

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

No, we will not. The matters pertaining to the operation of the law in Tasmania are obviously a matter for the people of Tasmania and for their sovereign parliament, and that sovereign parliament and government are answerable to the people of Tasmania for their actions. We will perform our responsibilities with respect to that project under the relevant federal legislation, and we will do so diligently. I do note the controversy surrounding this project, but I also note that for the people of Tasmania it is a vitally important project. It would be by far the biggest private sector investment ever made in the state of Tasmania, but how it is dealt with within Tasmanian law is a matter for the Tasmanian government and the Tasmanian people.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I am disappointed to hear the minister rule out a royal commission, since the assessment process was a joint Commonwealth-Tasmanian process and therefore the Commonwealth was involved. I ask the Prime Minister through Senator Minchin whether the Commonwealth was informed by Premier Lennon that he intended to legislate to shorten the process before the Stock Exchange was informed by Gunns. Further, I ask: will the government now guarantee that the new Commonwealth assessment process will be a public inquiry and will it consider the impacts on listed threatened species as is required under the EPBC Act? I would really like to know to what extent the Commonwealth was involved if it is so quick to rule out a royal commission into collusion.

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

I personally have no idea what communications may or may not have taken place between the Premier of Tasmania and relevant officers or ministers of the federal government. I am happy to inquire as to what, if any, communications took place. As to the question of the nature of the federal government inquiry, I am advised that under the EPBC Act the assessments do include provision for public comment. I will have to get back to you because I do not have information to hand about the extent to which the inquiry itself is public, but certainly there is provision for public comment.