The much-maligned proposal for an independent Federal environmental watchdog will be formally put down on Wednesday when both the Government and Opposition move to take it off Parliament’s agenda.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stepped in again last week to reassure voters and miners the Nature Positive legislation would not be going ahead before the election.
He had already cut it out of a package of dozens of bills that were passed late last year.
But the legislation had still been included for debate on Thursday in a draft Senate program issued last week.
It prompted WA Premier Roger Cook to lash out at east coast latte-sipping Labor colleagues.
However, Labor senator Anthony Chisholm will move on Wednesday to take it off the agenda for good — while having a swipe at the Coalition, Greens and One Nation in passing.
His motion notes the previous Coalition government cut 40 per cent from the environment department and average decisions on new projects were 116 days late.
Shadow environment minister Jonno Duniam has also lodged a motion to eject the Nature Positive legislation from the Senate.
He decried the Government’s move as a short-term political fix.
“The Government might be withdrawing their anti-WA nature positive bills from the Parliament now, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that the Prime Minister hasn’t ruled out bringing them back in the next term of government,” he said.
“If the Prime Minister really wants to do the right thing, he would rule out bringing back these dreadful laws — including in a deal with the Greens and Teals in the next term of Parliament.”
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