Nature-positive ‘a Labor negative’

Big business has undermined Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s claims her controversial nature-positive laws are ‘better’ for corporates.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

On the eve of parliament’s return, big business has undermined Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s claims her controversial nature-positive laws are “better” for corporates, with the peak body demanding she shelve her reforms until the next election.

Ms Plibersek’s push to establish an environmental watchdog is one of the last pieces of legislation left on Labor’s first-term agenda – before it either presents a budget on March 25 or calls an election – alongside electoral reforms that seek to keep “big money” from donors such as Clive Palmer and Simon Holmes à Court out of politics.

But Ms Plibersek’s nature-positive laws remain the hardest item on the parliamentary agenda to pass, coming under attack from miners and Western Australian Labor Premier Roger Cook for their potential to damage the resources industry, while the Greens have slammed Labor for not going far enough to protect the natural environment.

“There has been consistent support from the business community to see reform in this area. Of course we’ll continue to work with the business community to see positive reform that makes decision-making faster, more streamlined, clearer and easier,” Ms Plibersek said on Friday.

But Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black on Friday afternoon joined critics of Ms Plibersek and said any reforms to environmental red tape must not be rushed through the next two weeks of parliament.

“These bills represent only a small part of the EPBC Act reform recommended by Professor (Graeme) Samuel, and the full body of reform he recommended is complex and shouldn’t be rushed,” Mr Black said.

“We therefore urge the government to shelve this legislation until after the election and then work with all stakeholders to undertake holistic reforms to the EPBC Act in line with the Samuel Review.”

Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the government’s legislation failed to “protect native forests and does nothing to stop endangered species like the koala from going extinct”.

“It needs serious amendments to ensure nature is actually protected from miners and loggers,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

“We got very close to a deal last year before the government capitulated to the mining lobby in WA, again.”

The Coalition warned against Labor working with the Greens on the nature-positive laws and electoral reforms, raising concern with both policies being made too radical should the government seek the minor party’s support.

Special Minister of State Don Farrell will seek to pass electoral reforms in the next fortnight. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

But, despite declaring late last year it was open to working with the Greens to pass its electoral reforms in what was seen as a warning to the Coalition to support the legislation, The Weekend Australian understands the government has failed to meet with the Greens regularly over summer and instead appears to be banking on the opposition’s support.

Current red lines for the Coalition include the potential for the bill to benefit unions and allow for loopholes in raising revenue for the Labor Party, along with the burden a $1000 donation disclosure threshold would have on small business.

Along with lowering the donation threshold from $15,200, the legislation would also put an annual $20,000 cap on political donations to any given party, which the Coalition has been seeking to have increased.

Greens Senate leader Larissa Waters said it had become clear Labor intended to work with the opposition, rather than strike a deal with the minor party, which is demanding a full inquiry into the legislation and inclusion of truth-in-advertising reforms.

“From the outset, the government has barely picked up the phone to the Greens, with only haphazard contact, despite our repeated attempts to meet,” Senator Waters said.

“It’s clear to us from that conduct that the government wants a deal with the opposition on these reforms – precisely because those reforms advantage the big parties at the expense of smaller parties and new entrants.”

The Weekend Australian understands the Greens last met with Special Minister of State Don Farrell in mid-December.

Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume would not say when she last met with Senator Farrell, but a spokeswoman for Senator Hume said the Coalition would “work with the government to see how we can improve the current electoral system”.

“The bill has been introduced, and we have reserved our position … However, this is big legislation with a lot of moving parts with serious implications for MPs, senators, political parties and the broader electoral system,” the spokeswoman said.

“We are looking at the detail and have sought further information on how it will change the current system.”

According to a draft of the Senate program for the next sitting fortnight, the electoral reforms are scheduled for debate on Thursday, though sources from both major parties said they expected the matter to be pushed to the following week.

Changes to political donations are among the key pieces of reform the government hopes to progress in the next parliamentary sitting – potentially the last before the election – along with its nature-positive legislation and increase of taxes to superannuation balances over $3m.