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Version 9 Version 10
Bill Shorten makes pitch to be next PM at Labor national conference as anti-Adani protesters removed – live Mark Butler says Labor is 'impatient' to tackle to climate change at national conference – live
(35 minutes later)
The environment protection act changes are now official Labor policy, having been carried.
Again, we haven’t gone to the floor for any motion or amendment as yet.
Meanwhile, Scott Morrison needs a new pair of glasses, because his dog ate his old ones.
A modern Australian story pic.twitter.com/ikBnOOF8sc
The original amendment looked like this (you’ll notice what is missing in the first few dot points)
Australia needs new frameworks for truly national protection and management of Australia’s natural resources to enshrine federal leadership in proactive and systemic protection of our environment from threats such as climate change. Labor will:
Reform federal environment laws;
Ensure the knowledge and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are central in environment protection laws, programs and policies;
Create strong, well-resourced, science-based, independent environment institutional structures with strong legislative and financial basis to proactively protect environmental assets, regularly report on progress on actions and outcomes and provide policy leadership and compliance functions;
Implement clear management, governance and decision making structures and responsibility that are transparent, efficient and streamlined, relating not only to development applications but also priorities for proactive protection;
Provide consistent, national standards and adequate, publicly available data for decision making;
Improve regulation and streamline environmental assessment processes;
Restore democracy, respect and protection of rights for civil society involvement in environmental matters;
Manage Australia’s environment fairly and efficiently as a foundation for ecologically sustainable jobs; and
Protect biodiversity and support resilience in the natural environment.
The first environment chapter amendment is up.
It’s this one:
Australia needs new frameworks for truly national protection and management of Australia’s natural resources to enshrine federal leadership in proactive and systemic protection of our environment from threats such as climate change, and to protect the value of heritage sites.
Labor will:
Establish an Australian Environment Act within the first term of government;
Ensure the knowledge and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are central in environment protection laws, programs and policies;
For the purposes of managing matters of national environmental significance, create strong, well resourced, science based institutions to administer the law: including a federal environmental protection agency to conduct public inquiries, provide transparent and timely advice to the minister within a clear decision-making framework and enforcement; and ensure there is the capacity in the public service to provide federal leadership on the environment;
Implement clear management, governance and decision making structures that are transparent, efficient and streamlined;
Improve regulation and streamline environmental assessment processes;
Manage Australia’s environment fairly and efficiently as a foundation for ecologically, socially and economically sustainable jobs;
Protect biodiversity and support resilience in the natural environment; and
Direct the Environment Department to establish national environment plans that set targets and approaches to proactively protect the environment
We have had our first Dennis Denuto reference of the day.
NSW Lean executive member David Tierney quoted The Castle lawyer in his speech, urging support for the environment chapter.
Tony Burke says Labor will stop all the super trawlers, reinstate the marine parks and increase the number of indigenous rangers.
Labor’s climate change spokesman, Mark Butler, is introducing the climate chapter, before the first amendment to be moved by the shadow environment minister, Tony Burke.
The amendment adds substance to Bill Shorten’s announcement this morning – clarifying the new Australian Environment Act will be introduced in Labor’s first term of government and explaining the environmental protection agency will conduct inquiries, provide advice to the minister, and enforce environmental laws.
But rather than create a national environment commission, the second body requested by the Labor Environment Action Network, Labor will instead direct the environment department to establish national environmental plans to set non-binding “targets and approaches to proactively protect the environment”.
Tony Burke seconds the conference moving to the environment chapter, saying Labor “has always been the party of the environment”.
He thanks the green army who are present – and they cheer.
He says it was Labor who stopped the Great Barrier Reef from being drilled, Hawke and Keating who saved the Franklin Dam, Rudd and Gillard who saved Migaloo and the oceans.
Butler says Labor is not just “willing” to start tackling climate change, “we are impatient for it”.
Butler is talking about the importance of tackling climate change, or lowering emissions, and taking the Paris climate accords seriously.
Security guards have started lining the aisles in the conference hall, where Mark Butler is delivering his speech, in anticipation of more protesters attempting to disrupt the events.
Mark Butler has opened the environment section of today’s debate.
Meanwhile, outside, this protest is still growing:
"we will we will stop you Adani" #auspol #alpconf18 pic.twitter.com/N3CF7q4Ql6
Meanwhile, the anti-Adani protest outside the conference centre is growing. You can hear the shouts from deep inside the building.Meanwhile, the anti-Adani protest outside the conference centre is growing. You can hear the shouts from deep inside the building.
Stop Adani/climate protesters at #alpconf18 announce another climate strike on March 15. Labor about to debate environmental protections. #auspol pic.twitter.com/xD2e2szD39Stop Adani/climate protesters at #alpconf18 announce another climate strike on March 15. Labor about to debate environmental protections. #auspol pic.twitter.com/xD2e2szD39
The Wong and Cameron press conference was pushed back.The Wong and Cameron press conference was pushed back.
The conference is back.
The environment section is about to start.
It is almost all sorted, we are told, but possibly not to the extend the anti-Adani protesters outside would like.
That protest is beginning to kick off again, outside the conference hall.
Decent showing from the Stop Adani crowd outside #alpconf18 after delaying Shorten speech earlier #auspol pic.twitter.com/rmuBt0ROaT
David Cameron and Penny Wong are next on the press conference circuit.
Their up at 2.15pm Adelaide time (subtract or add time depending on your location, but it is about 10 minutes from now)
And just on that, Bill Shorten has issued Labor’s official response:
On behalf of the federal opposition, I congratulate General (retd) David Hurley on his appointment as Australia’s next governor general.
General Hurley has dedicated his life to serving Australia, including decades in the defence force and then as Governor of New South Wales.
The opposition was informed of the announcement this morning.
While I am pleased the prime minister received approval from the United Kingdom for this merited appointment, I hope this is the last time an Australian prime minister has to call Buckingham Palace for permission.
We are a country that can stand on its own two feet: an Australian republic with an Australian head of state.
That’s what the next Labor government is determined to deliver.
Conference is still on break and the delegates have moved into their individual caucus spaces.
I see there is a bit of discussion below the line about the possibility of Labor protesting the appointment.
I’ve asked and have been told by multiple sources that it “would be very hard for us to do anything on this”, but there is what you could call annoyance at the way the appointment has been made.
That’s not a reflection on David Hurley, they were all quick to point out, but that it was done on conference weekend, six months out, in an election year.
Labor’s shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, has given a press conference to discuss housing affordability and Labor’s plan to put superannuation in the national employment standards, giving employees and unions the ability to pursue businesses who fail to pay in the courts.
Asked about the appointment of the former chief of defence force David Hurley to the role of governor general, Bowen said that it was a “perfectly appropriate” appointment but let rip on the timing and lack of consultation before the announcement.
Bowen said:
I would’ve thought it’s appropriate, given he will begin his term after the next election, that the prime minister would have had the good grace to consult the leader of the opposition. I understand the leader of the opposition was informed this morning but was not consulted … Do we really believe that a governor general who will be taking up his post in the middle of next year had to be announced today while the leader of the opposition was making an important speech at the very same time? What a coincidence. The fact the prime minister feels that appropriate to pick the announcement of a vice regal important which coincides with the Labor national conference and the leader’s speech says more about Scott Morrison than anybody else.
On why Labor believes there needs to be a federal environmental protection agency, Chris Bowen says:
I think the states have had environmental protection authorities for many years. In some instances, 30 years. Getting the appropriate to rigour around environmental protection is at the federal level. Having a more independent process. The amount of rigour that it is fair to say the state EBA supply. Those big approvals which require national approvals, why shouldn’t we have the same system and I think that’s appropriate and Bill has made an announcement today. You would expect a degree of consultation around what goes in.”
Asked about Paul Fletcher’s criticism of the housing package, Chris Bowen says he “does not accept the premise”.
Asked about Newstart, Chris Bowen says it is “low” and Labor has committed to reviewing it.
He is asked again and repeats the same line. It is almost as though he anticipated it.
What that means, is that there has been no agreement to raise it, as the Left wants. And least as it stands right now.
Chris Bowen also says it is “a rather unusual circumstance” for an appointment of a governor general has been announced well before the term will begin.
And that perhaps Scott Morrison may have “paused for a second” and consulted with the opposition over the appointment. You know, because he is not actually taking up the role for another six months. After the election.
On the protests, Chris Bowen says Labor runs an “open conference” and sometimes people protest. But he says the important thing was how Bill Shorten handled it, which he said was with “dignity”.