Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water, Minister Wong. You have previously stated that it is undertaking thorough consultation on First Nations heritage reforms with First Nations communities and organisations which will determine the time line of these reforms. Yet your own records show that you have not consulted with the First Nations heritage alliance since the end of last year and other First Nations stakeholders since February. My question is: how are you undertaking extensive and thorough consultation when you are not actually consulting at all?

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

I assume the 'you' in that is the minister I'm representing or the government. Obviously, no, I don't have responsibility for the cultural heritage reforms, but I think your question is clear. The information I have—and I might have given you this answer previously—is that we committed to reforming national heritage protection laws. We committed to consultation with all parties, including the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance. In relation to details about meetings, senators put something to me. I don't have any information on that, but I would make the point—and obviously there have been quite a few questions about this last week from the opposition, which came from a different perspective—that this was a process that was actually begun by the opposition when in government. In fact, the now Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Ms Ley, was the minister who commissioned the paper and contacted the First Nations heritage alliance to provide advice on the options canvassed in the paper.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Thorpe, first supplementary?

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are we waiting for the EPBC reforms to be completed before you'll actually touch the heritage protection reforms—or the minister that you're representing?

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

My recollection is that the EPBC reforms are further down the path in terms of the consultation and policy process, but that is only a recollection, and I'll certainly get you some further information about that. We went to the election with a commitment in relation to the EPBC. The process that I've outlined was the consultation process that Ms Ley started. They are separate processes, and obviously we had an election commitment in relation to the EPBC Act, which I've no doubt Ms Plibersek is ensuring she is working on. In terms of how the government would envisage those two reform processes or consultation processes interacting, let me ask if Ms Plibersek's office can provide you with any further information.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Thorpe, second supplementary?

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that response. A hundred and eighty-one countries have signed onto the UN Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. When will Australia sign the convention?

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

I think we all understand—and particularly as I travel around the world it's clear to me—that a multilateral system to protect the environment, to protect heritage, is becoming even more required. I will get some advice from the relevant minister about Australia's approach to that convention. We do think that the multilateral system is a very important part of maintaining rules and norms, along with, frankly, procedures or processes for settling disputes. We are active in many international fora, and there are many international conventions and arrangements that Australia is party to. Under this government, we are putting significant resources into the multilateral system because we think it is of import. On the specific issue of the convention you raised, Senator, I don't have any further information on that, and I will come back to you.(Time expired)