Transcript – ABC Radio National Breakfast with Sally Sara

SALLY SARA:
Well, senior members of the federal government and opposition have been visiting South Australia in the past week to observe the ongoing impact of the state’s algal bloom. The Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the toxic bloom is causing, quote, “a collapse of the ecosystem”. Angie Bell is the Federal Shadow Minister for the Environment and was among those touring the state’s coastline. Angie Bell joins me now. Welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.

ANGIE BELL:
Thank you, Sally, so wonderful to be with you this morning.

COALTION ADVOCACY DELIVERS FOR CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

The Federal Government’s announcement of $8 million in funding for the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital’s Research and Education Campus is a welcome step for wildlife conservation – albeit one that has taken far too long.

Transcript – ABC Adelaide Breakfast with Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller

SONYA FELDHOFF:
Well, there was a lot of criticism of the Federal Environment Minister who literally spent, I think, 10 minutes on a beach in South Australia after having… he did come with money, that is fair, but a lot of people were pretty cynical about the amount of time he spent here.
Angie Bell is the Federal Shadow Environment Minister. She’s actually been in South Australia since Thursday, we believe, since the end of question time, taking a look at the impact of this algal bloom. Angie Bell, good morning to you.
ANGIE BELL:
Good morning, Sonya and Jules. How are you? Thanks for having me.

Transcript – FIVEAA Breakfast with David Penberthy and Will Goodings

DAVID PENBERTHY:

The Federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, was rightly derided for the glacial pace at which he responded to the algal bloom crisis here in South Australia. He’s still got his head in the sand. He still refuses to acknowledge that it is a natural disaster.

WILL GOODINGS:

Well, he came here with a tape measure and a dictionary, didn’t he? Because he told us it was too far out to sea to be a Commonwealth concern, it didn’t quite neatly fit the definition of a natural disaster.

TAXPAYERS FUND BUREAUCRATS, AGAIN

A week-long Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority conference has resulted in a $59,610 taxpayer funded accommodation bill.
During Senate Estimates last year, the Reef Authority approached three possible accommodation providers in the Cairns-Port Douglas region on limited tender for a five-day conference.

Transcript – Sky News Afternoon Agenda with Tom Connell

TOM CONNELL:
Let’s return to that situation in Gaza. It’s been described as the strongest condemnation yet from the Australian government on the Israeli government, saying more aid needs to be let through. Joining me now is Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell. Thank you for your time. We’ll get to your portfolio in a moment but what do you make of this shift? Is it time for Israel to stop with excuses about difficulty of getting aid through and just make it happen.
ANGIE BELL:
Well, thanks, Tom, for having me on your show. I’m sure that Australians around the country are horrified at the scenes that we’re seeing coming out of Gaza.

LABOR BEACHED ON ALGAL BLOOM

Scientists have once again called for government action on the South Australian algal bloom that has resulted in over 14,000 dead marine creatures.
They have requested an immediate investment of $10 million to research the impact of the bloom and inform plans for the next occurrence.

Transcript – Sky News Regional Breakfast

RHIANNON ELSTON:

For more on this, Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell joins me live. Minister, good morning to you, or Shadow Minister, I should say. As we have heard, the federal government has pledged $14 million to help South Australians affected by the algae crisis. What’s your response to this?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, Rhiannon, the government has been caught out, flat-footed on this. They have been too slow to respond to the people of South Australia and the algal bloom that’s affecting our Great Southern Reef.

It is so close to our marine parks down there in South Australia, and the eminent scientists down in South Australia have been the government for 18 months for funding to monitor the algal bloom and they have been denied across two Albanese governments. It’s just not good enough.

Transcript – ABC Afternoon Briefing with Patricia Karvelas

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

The Greens have been arguing for a climate trigger in the laws that would force the Federal Minister to take climate impact into consideration. They’re going to be presenting that as a private member’s bill tomorrow. I want to get the opposition’s perspective now and bring in the Shadow Environment Minister, Angie Bell. Welcome to the program.

ANGIE BELL:

Great to be with you, PK.

PATRICIA KARVELAS:

What are your reflections on today and the way that the pomp, the ceremony, the speech from the Governor-General that we think very carefully about the tone about anger in the debate? How did that land on you?

LABOR’S ENVIRONMENT CREDENTIALS ALL WASHED UP

Today’s visit to South Australia by the Environment Minister is an extraordinary admission that the government has been completely flat-footed in its response to the spread of toxic algal bloom.

This last minute dash on the eve of parliament’s resumption is a last second window dressing exercise to say he has visited.
Minister Watt claimed as recently as Friday that the spread of toxic algal bloom in South Australia – which is devastating waters adjacent to Commonwealth Marine Parks – is a state issue, when trying to justify his decision to send only a departmental official to witness the situation.