Article by Tom Rabe & Phillip Coorey, courtesy of the Australian Financial Review
West Australian Premier Roger Cook said a deal crunched between Tanya Plibersek and the Greens to establish an environment protection agency would have posed a risk to the state’s mining industry and nation’s prosperity.
As some senate crossbenchers disputed the assertion that Ms Plibersek and the Greens had the numbers to pass the Nature Positive bill last week, Mr Cook downplayed his role in Anthony Albanese killing off the push, saying the prime minister did not need his permission.
“I want to make this clear, the PM doesn’t call me for permission, my opinion is sometimes sought by those in Canberra, and I provide it. We’ve made our position in relation Nature Positive absolutely clear,” Mr Cook said.
Mr Cook would not be drawn on the political implications in WA for the federal Labor government at the looming election if it revived the Nature Positive reforms.
“The politics is for the prime minister to resolve, the economics and impact on WA is the essence of my submission to him,” he said.
“We are of the view that Nature Positive posed a risk to our mining industry and a risk to the nation’s prosperity. We put that view very firmly to the federal government.”
Environment Minister Ms Plibersek and Mr Albanese are at daggers drawn after he vetoed any prospect of a deal on Tuesday last week, a day after she and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young reached in-principle agreement
After the Greens dropped a demand for a ban on native forest logging in return for their support, they agreed the minister would have powers to make national environmental standards that could be applied to individual projects. These could, for example, stipulate protections for threatened species that could stop a project going ahead if they could not be met.
They also felt they had the support of senate independents David Pocock and Lidia Thorpe, which would be sufficient in numerical terms because Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell agreed to abstain from voting.
But Senator Tyrrell rejected this, saying she was prepared to vote against the bill because the government could not demonstrate that Tasmania’s forest industry would not be affected. Others say Senator Lambie was similarly disposed.
Vowing to resume the fight when parliament resumes in February, Senator Hanson-Young said a deal was in reach.
“I believe we could have got there if Roger Cook and Gina Rinehart hadn’t got their way,” she said. “We were very close.”
She chastised Mr Cook for “crowing” about his victory which gave a green light for ongoing land clearing and habitat destruction.
Within the government there were mixed feelings, with one source saying Ms Plibersek and her office were being reckless.
He pointed to the controversial decision which thwarted a $1 billion gold mine project in Blayney, in central west NSW, and her ongoing funding support for the Environmental Defenders Office despite a damning court finding against tactics employed by the EDO to stall Santos’ Barossa gas project.
Labor went to the last election promising to establish an EPA but Mr Albanese has made it clear in recent days he was not prepared to countenance any demands by the Greens.
He also said the numbers were never there for a deal.
WA, where Labor picked up an extra four seats from the Coalition at the last election, will be critical at the next federal election if Labor is to ward of minority government.
Mr Albanese has traveled to the state about two dozen times since the election and his heading there again on Friday for an extended bout of campaigning.
