Labor paid ‘lip service’ to Coalition over ‘frankenstein’ green reforms: Nationals MP

Labor was only paying ‘lip service’ to the Coalition over controversial new laws before cutting a deal with the Greens, an opposition MP says.

Nationals MP Michael McCormack says Labor was only paying “lip service” to the Coalition over environmental reforms before it made an 11th hour deal with the Greens.

Amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act returned to the lower house on Friday morning after receiving support from the Greens in the Senate on Thursday.

The reforms will establish a federal environmental protection agency, national environmental standards and higher penalties for the most significant breaches of environmental law.

They also give the federal government oversight over native forest logging.

After a contentious early-morning sitting on Friday, the Bill passed 89 to 34 at 9.40am,prompting cheers from the crowd.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was a ‘proud day for me as Labor leader’ to pass the reforms. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr McCormack mirrored comments from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar on Thursday, calling the reform package “Frankenstein’s monster”

‘(It) is going to be unleashed onto the Australian economy at a time when we’re already paying higher power prices, at a time of cost of living costs,” Mr McCormack, a former deputy Prime Ministers said.

“I mean, this is nuts.”

Mr McCormack denied that the Coalition was ineffective on the reforms and said the party would be “fighting ard over summer”, including over power prices.

‘Proud day’: Labor passes sweeping green reforms

Addressing the Bill, Anthony Albanese accused the Coalition, who had been in talks with the government over a deal as late as Wednesday night, of being a “mess … incapable of coming up with plans that were consistent”.

“They changed their decision from hour to hour,” he said.

“The final documentation from the Coalition said: ‘Oh, and there’s more’. This is yesterday afternoon.

“They couldn’t tell us what their amendments would be.”

Mr Albanese said it was a “proud day for me as Labor leader” to pass the reforms.

“This was a yes-olition,” he said.

“People who wanted reform, making a big difference on housing, energy, critical minerals, and resources.

Nationals MP Michael McCormack has claimed Labor was only paying ‘lip service’ to the Coalition over the EPBC. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Projects that make a difference, unleashing our nation’s capability and backing our economy, because the stronger economy and cleaner environment depend on each other, and with these laws, our government is delivering both.”

Mr Albanese said the reforms would provide certainty to businesses, with “quicker yeses and quicker nos”, and would speed up delivery of renewable energy projects and housing.

Sussan Ley said the “Greens alliance is well and truly back in business”.

“Because, we listen to you Prime Minister every question time laying into the Greens, but today, the Greens are amazing, so nice to the Greens,” the Opposition Leader said.

“This is economy wrecking.”

Ms Ley said the Bill could have been pushed until next year.

“We know a political fix when we see one,” she said.

“This piece of rubbish was pulled out of the hat because this could have gone on to next year.

“Fifteen-hundred pages of legislation could have been properly consulted, done systematically.”

Ms Ley said energy producers claimed the Bill would put “all approvals in the slow lane”.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the ‘Greens alliance is well and truly back in business’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“That’s what’s really going to happen here if you want approvals for resources, projects, for gas,” she said.

“I thought, Prime Minister, you had a future gas strategy.

“You have no gas strategy now, nothing to provide and the affordability to bring people’s energy prices down.

“Energy producers said this will delay the new gas that has to come online to keep our electricity grid functioning.”

Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown credited her party for having negotiated an end to the regional forestry agreement exemption for native forest logging.

“It shouldn’t have to be like this. We shouldn’t have to fight like this, but we do,” she said.

“If Labor had their way under the original Bill, big logging corporations would still be destroying our native forests.”

Environment Minister Murray Watt went on to deny the Bill entailed an end to regional forestry agreements or native forest logging.

Instead, he said the Bill meant the same environmental standards applied to other industries would apply to logging.

Environment Minister Murray Watt with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young during the passing of the EPBC Bill. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“I can categorically assure your listeners that we have not agreed to shut down native forestry in Tasmania or any other part of the country,” he told ABC Radio Hobart.

“Now, we all know that that is what the Greens have wanted to do, but we stared them down on that and rejected their demand to do that.”

He claimed the Coalition and the Greens had been “running around Tasmania telling people that we’re going to be shutting down native forestry, and that’s because that’s just a political scare campaign that works for both of them”.

Coalition environment spokeswoman Angie Bell took a swipe at Ms Watson-Brown, describing her as “the new deputy prime minister”.

The Bill also received support from independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender, though she said it was “imperfect”.

The reforms stem from a 2020 review by Professor Graeme Samuel into the EPBC Act.

Senator Watt had indicated earlier this week an intention to strike a deal either with the Greens or the Coalition to secure support in the Senate.

Originally published as Labor paid ‘lip service’ to Coalition over ‘frankenstein’ green reforms: Nationals MP