Nature Positive: Labor delays debate on federal EPA after business backlash over potential deal with Greens

Labor has pulled its controversial Nature Positive laws after a backlash from big business over the prospect of a deal with the Greens. The Senate was scheduled to debate legislation to establish a new Environment Protection Agency on Thursday before it was bumped from the notice paper at the last minute. The move came as Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek again refused to rule out agreeing to a “climate trigger” to win the Greens’ support. “They (the laws) don’t include a climate trigger now but we work with the Senate that the Australian people elected,” Ms Plibersek told Sky News. Ms Plibersek sent alarm bells ringing around the business and mining sector on Wednesday after confirming she was in negotiations with the Greens, including over its push for “climate considerations” to be factored into the environmental assessment of projects. The Business Council of Australia — which represents BHP and Rio Tinto — demanded Labor rule out a “reckless” deal with the Greens that would imperil critical minerals and green energy projects in Western Australia. Industry and the WA Government argue a “climate trigger” is unnecessary because the Commonwealth already has the safeguard mechanism to manage pollution from projects. Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the party was in talks with the Government but stressed it was no “nowehere near any type of final deal or offer”. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is understood to prefer a deal with the Coalition and has offered to gut the proposed EPA to get Peter Dutton over the line. Miners are lobbying the Opposition to accept the offer, which industry considers the “least worst outcome”. The Nightly understands a deal with either the Coalition or the Greens and crossbench is still some way off and there was next to no prospect of a vote on Thursday even if it was brought on for debate. The Government has chosen to prioritise debate on its signature Future Made in Australia laws, which also face resistance from the Coalition and the Greens. The Nature Positive laws could be debated again next week, with Ms Plibersek on Wednesday signalling she was keen to get it through Parliament during this sitting fortnight. The Nightly has confirmed Labor still intends to debate the Bill next week, with senior sources adamant the laws had not been permanently shelved. The Minister said she hoped the laws could pass through unchanged but accepted concessions would have to be made. “We are in talks with the Greens political party, with the crossbench, with the Liberals, with the Nationals,” she told Sky News. “I’d like to see the laws, as they are, passed through the Senate, but I’m a realist. “I’ve said all along, it’s likely that we’ll need compromise and common sense. “If there are sensible amendments that are proposed by the Liberals or Nationals or the Greens or the crossbench, we are prepared to look at those sensible amendments in order to get the laws passed.” Shadow environment minister Jonno Duniam said Ms Plibersek and Mr Albanese were clearly at odds over the legislation. “There is clearly a conflict within the Government when you have the Prime Minister spruiking a compliance-only model EPA as brokered by the Coalition, and an Environment Minister willing to do a deal with the Greens to implement a climate trigger that would all but wreck the WA economy,” Senator Duniam said. “These are at opposite ends of the spectrum and illustrate the spineless nature of the Albanese Government who would prefer to do a deal just for the politics, rather than taking into account the effect of a climate trigger on the job-creators of WA and the rest of the country.” WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby reiterated the Government’s view that the safeguard mechanism was the appropriate tool to manage pollution. Mr Whitby said he wasn’t privy to the latest negotiations over the laws but is keen to speak with Ms Plibersek, after missing her during a visit to Canberra earlier this week.