Prime Minister Should Take His Own Advice
When the then-coalition government sought to weaken the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Mr. Albanese said “the right of citizens with standing to challenge their governments in court is a fundamental pillar of a robust democracy”.
Tomorrow, the Albanese government is planning to do exactly what Mr. Albanese warned against in 2015.
The government will introduce amendments to parliament tomorrow seeking to change subsection 78(3) and subsection 78C(1) of the EPBC Act, which will limit the ability to review decisions and have major consequences for our natural environment.
Science is constantly evolving. Australia needs laws which enable decisions to be reviewed based on the latest evidence. These amendments stop us from doing that.
“These changes are undemocratic, blocking communities from standing up for the environment,” said Eloise Carr, Director of The Australia Institute.
Back in 2015, Mr. Albanese went on to describe the coalition’s proposed changes to the EPBC Act as an act of “vandalism”.
“The Prime Minister was right in 2015. These changes are an act of vandalism, not just on the environment, but also on democracy,” Ms Carr said.
“His captain’s call on this is a bad one. He has underestimated the level of community backlash he is likely to receive just weeks before an election. Australia Institute research over decades has consistently shown that Australians care about their environment and cherish the opportunity to protect it.
“Science is constantly making new progress, and these changes would severely limit the ability to review decisions amidst a climate crisis.”
https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-prime-minister-should-take-his-own-advice/