Taylor dodges inquiry over conflict as Hanson comes to rescue

Energy Minister Angus Taylor has narrowly avoided a Senate inquiry into his dealings with environment officials.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor in question time yesterday. Picture: AAP

Energy Minister Angus Taylor has narrowly avoided a Senate inquiry into his dealings with environment officials and links to a company investigated over alleged illegal land clearing.

Labor and the Greens have been trying to summon support for an inquiry into Mr Taylor’s conduct, but the Senate voted 33-32 yesterday to block the probe.

The opposition has been pursuing the cabinet minister for failing to declare an indirect interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd and a 2017 ­meeting where he lobbied then environme­nt minister Josh Frydenberg to have environmental protections for endangered grasslands watered down.

It was held while investigations were under way into the alleged poisoning of 30ha of grasslands on a NSW property owned by Jam Land. Mr Taylor’s brother Richard is one of Jam Land’s directors, while his family investment company­, Gufee, is a shareholder.

During a tense question time yesterday, Mr Taylor defended himself as he faced a slew of questions from Labor MPs.

He told parliament he had been advocating for his constit­uents, who were concerned the listing of grasslands as endangered species would hinder efficient weed control­ across the NSW Southern Tablelands and Monaro regions.

“There has been strong antagonism expressed from the farming community about federal and state native vegetation regulation for some time,” he said.

Mr Taylor said farmers had been concerned about the issue since 2014 or earlier. “I have already made a comprehensive and detailed­ statement on this matter covering exactly this issue to the house earlier today,” he said.

“In that statement I made clear that, through discussions with farmers in late 2016 and 2017, they demonstrated deep concerns about the impact of this listing on their farming operation.

“And they pointed me to a ­National Farmers Federation submission made in 2014 expressing those concerns.

“Those opposite just want to smear farmers and those who represen­t farmers in this place becaus­e they are completely out of touch with farmers.”

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke said the minister had given three reasons to parliament over the past week about why he sought the meeting.

“One, somebody wrote a letter six months after the meeting that was addressed to somebody else,” Mr Burke told parliament.

“Two, somebody wrote a letter three years before the meeting that was addressed to somebody else and, three, he had a conversation with a bloke in Yass.

“Isn’t the only consistent interest here his own?”

Mr Taylor dismissed the question, saying it showed “the disdain (Labor members) have for the farmers of Australia”.

The minister said he had declare­d his interests in accordance with existing rules.

Labor and the Greens needed support from four of the six Senate crossbenchers to get their inquiry up and running.

But their attempt fell flat as One Nation leader Pauline Hanson­ labelled it ­as a “witch hunt”.