Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources, Senator Farrell. Last week's Gas statement of opportunities highlighted an imminent risk of gas shortfalls. Labor today voted against bringing its own legislation to the Senate despite having bipartisan support for it from the coalition. You've thrown the offshore gas industry into uncertainty and caused further delay by blocking your own legislation, despite claiming that this bill was urgent and desperately needed. What deal have you done with the Greens for their votes?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! Order, particularly on my right. Order, Senator McGrath. Senator Farrell.

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

I thank the senator for her question. None.

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

Senator McDonald, your first supplementary?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was revealed on Monday and today that the government threw away bipartisan support for gas regulation changes and bowed to pressure to secure Green votes by giving the environment minister another EPBC trigger. Labor is clearly divided. Which factual powerbrokers in Labor supported the environment minister to overrule the resources minister?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

Before I call the minister, I'll remind those on my right that Senator McDonald has the right to ask her question in silence. Minister Farrell?

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

I thank the senator for her question. I'm not sure how to answer that question, because there's nothing in your question that remotely resembles the truth or remotely resembles what has been happening in this place. It's the combination of the Greens and the coalition which is stopping progress on all of these things. Can I say this about Minister Madeleine King—

Government senators: A fine minister.

A very fine minister. But, more importantly, resources and especially gas are in very safe hands. From the time that your former government— (Time expired)

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

Senator McDonald, second supplementary.

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The West Australian wrote, 'Thanks to the Labor Environment Action Network complaining to Minister Plibersek and the Prime Minister, Minister King was embarrassingly forced to change her own legislation.' It is clear that Minister King has been sidelined and the lean Green alliance is now actually responsible for Labor's resources policy. When will you give up the charade and promote Mr Bandt to cabinet?

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

Again, there's nothing in your question that resembles reality or the truth of the situation. I can only repeat what I said in my previous answer, that we have one of the finest resources ministers that this country has ever had.

Can I say this about gas, when was the first report that we had gas shortages? It was the year Tony Abbott became the prime minister. And what has happened? What happened in those nine years? You did absolutely nothing about securing gas supplies in this country.

We are doing something about that. We will do something about it and there is no better person to do it than Madeleine King.

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

On that note, I'd ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.