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

nator THORPE () (): My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Industry and Science, Minister Farrell. The federal government have spent $13 million on legal fees alone to try and force their nuclear waste dump on the land of the Barngarla people, who have spent less than $500,000, as there was no consent for this dump. How do the Labor government reconcile the vast power and resource disparity they use to deny First People their self-determination?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Thorpe for her question. I note that we're getting attacked from the Left and the Right on this issue, which makes me think that Madeleine King, the Minister for Resources, is treading down the right path here.

Obviously the extent to which legal fees have been spent in this area has been a decision principally, in terms of the government, of the previous government but also of the Barngarla people themselves. It's not clear to me just where the situation lies in terms of costs, but I imagine that will be an issue that will be determined at some point in these proceedings.

We've got an important issue here. Dealing with the issue of low-level waste has been a difficult and important—

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

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Thorpe?

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

I raise a point of order on relevance, President. My question was about the disparity the government are using to deny First People their self-determination.

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

Your question also went to legal fees. I think the minister is being relevant, but I'll continue to listen carefully.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think it's worth noting that, in the previous parliament, it was the decision of the Labor Party to allow the judicial review process to be incorporated into the Kimba proposal that led to the ability of the Barngarla people to make this challenge on this occasion, which obviously has been a successful challenge. But I do make this point: there's lots of low-level nuclear waste— (Time expired)

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

What will your government's next steps be in pursuing a national radioactive waste dump?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Thorpe for her question. I think I did go to answering that question when Senator Birmingham asked me it earlier in the day. It's not an easy thing to now resolve, given the decision under the judicial review. But, like it or not, there's lots of low-level nuclear waste stored in all sorts of places in Australia and the government, in accordance with the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012, which was introduced by the Labor Party, are now going to revisit the issue under Minister King's very careful guidance to work out where we might be able to place this radioactive waste. (Time expired)

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

Senator Thorpe, a second supplementary?

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

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which ICAN won the Nobel peace prize for, is still not signed by the very nation it originated in. When will the government sign the treaty, as Labor has promised to do?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Thorpe for her question. I make the point that it's probably not supplementary to the questions that have been asked in respect of Kimba and the nuclear waste facility. The issue of treaties is not something that is in my portfolio. I have responsibility for trade and tourism and I am Special Minister of State. We are extremely fortunate in this place to have Senator Wong as our wonderful Minister for Foreign Affairs, and I shall be—

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

Minister Farrell, please resume your seat.

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

I raise a point of order on relevance. The question was: when will the government sign the treaty as promised by the government. I understand that the minister may not have that on hand, but could he seek that advice from the minister he's representing?

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

What the minister said at the outset, Senator Thorpe, was that this second supplementary needed to be related to the primary question and the first supplementary question. They went to low-level waste, as I understood them, and to legal costs, so I agree with the minister that the third question is not related to the other two. He has been answering it, so this is really an invitation to the minister to answer the question, because it's not a supplementary in the true meaning of a supplementary.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President, for that clarification. I shall discuss the matter with the foreign minister after question time and I will come back to you with a formal response to the question that you've asked, even though it's not in the specific area of my portfolio.