Labor Minister Pressed During Question Time on Shelved Environmental Regulation Bill

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek are seen after a swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Canberra, Wednesday, June 1, 2022. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

News Analysis

In the latest round of parliamentary, Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley took a well-aimed jab at the Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, asking whether she still supported a federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The question, delivered during the Question Time on Feb. 6, came after the Albanese government shelved its much-discussed Nature Positive Bill—reportedly bowing to pressure from the mining industry in a crucial election year.

The bill, designed to give the federal Environmental Protection Agency real teeth, would have given it authority over environmental assessments, project approvals, and the issuing of permits. It covered everything from waste disposal and cultural heritage to—unsurprisingly—the ever-contentious mining sector.

Labor’s Western Australian Premier Roger Cook was among its loudest critics, allegedly whispering in Albanese’s ear to put the brakes on the reforms.

So, when Ley raised the issue in Question Time, Plibersek had to navigate the political minefield.

A Political Ping Pong Rally

Rather than answer Ley’s question directly, Plibersek took a detour down memory lane, recalling Ley’s own tenure as environment minister.

“She is one of the strongest advocates for environmental law reform,” Plibersek quipped with a grin.

“The Deputy Leader of the Opposition was the environment minister for a time. Many people don’t remember that, but she was.”

Plibersek then tried to flip the spotlight back onto the Coalition’s track record—one that included ignoring a key review by Professor Graham Samuel, which laid out a scathing critique of Australia’s existing environmental laws.

Ley, unimpressed, fired back: “The minister is going nowhere near the question, which was quite straightforward and simple.”

Blame Game in Full Swing

Plibersek then attempted a tactical shift, pinning the bill’s failure on an unlikely alliance between the Coalition and the Greens.

“We made it very clear through our Nature Positive plan that we wanted to deliver stronger protections while also providing faster, clearer decisions for businesses,” she said.

“We took a balanced package through the House of Representatives and to the Senate. Unfortunately, the Liberals and Nationals once again teamed up with the Greens political party to delay and refuse progress on our environmental law reforms.”

Next was Nationals Leader David Littleproud, who took his turn pressing Plibersek: “Will the minister rule out the future introduction of the federal environmental protection bill?”

Plibersek responded, “We introduced it into the Senate. We couldn’t get it through. That’s that. That’s a shame.”

Behind the scenes, however, it was a different story.

Reports suggest the bill was quietly shelved in November after a closed-door meeting between Albanese and Premier Cook—one where Plibersek was notably absent.

Albanese later dismissed claims that Plibersek had a handshake deal with the Greens, insisting, “We were negotiating across the Parliament with the Coalition and the crossbench. Some measures we didn’t agree on were put aside. That was one of them.”

For now, the Nature Positive Bill is gathering dust, a casualty of political reality. But if history is any guide, it won’t be long before it resurfaces—perhaps under a different name, with a little more political finesse.