The Albanese Labor Government has once again used their super majority in the House of Representatives to arrogantly gag debate.
This time, on the important and complex Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act legislative reform package of 1,459 pages.
TOM CONNELL:
Joining me now is Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell, who’s been combing through this Bill. Thank you for your time. So, you’re not supporting the laws as they stand. Going through a few of your points that you’ve made. So, you say there’s no improvement.
The Bill does talk about avoiding duplication in terms of having the approval powers at state, not federal level. That would be an improvement, wouldn’t it, in terms of duplication, which a lot of people complain about?
PATRICIA KARVELAS:
Angie Bell is the Shadow Environment Minister. She joins me now. Welcome.
ANGIE BELL:
Great to be with you, PK.
PATRICIA KARVELAS:
If Roger Cook, who is not exactly a greenie, I think it’s fair to say, says pass the laws, why shouldn’t you?
Today in the House of Representatives, Labor moved to squash debate on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act reform Bills.
The reform consists of seven Bills, each individually introduced and spoken to by Labor in the House on Thursday, 30 October 2025.
The latest victim of the Labor Government has come in the form of the Christmas Island Shrew – Australia’s 39th extinction as declared by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
This 39th national extinction comes after former Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek’s international commitment to prevent extinctions under the Albanese Labor Government.
Shadow Minister for the Environment and Youth, Angie Bell has called this a monumental government failing.
ANDREW CLENNELL:
Joining me live now is Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell. Thanks for your time Angie Bell. Let’s start with what’s about to happen in terms of the Coalition’s stance on climate policy. What do you make of the National Party document I just revealed recommending dumping net zero and making prices the priority and only reducing emissions at the speed of comparable nations? What do you think of that proposal?
ANGIE BELL:
Well, I certainly think the most important thing for Australians is energy prices. And I just heard Sam Rae that, you know, he’s putting downward pressure on energy prices. I mean, can Sam Rae go back and just explain that to the Australian people who now know, categorically, that renewables are not the cheapest form of energy when they’re paying so much for their energy bills, Andrew. In terms of the National Party, well, they have their processes and we’re going through our processes as you know, and we’ll come to our position on energy and emissions policy in due course.
ANGIE BELL:
Good afternoon, everyone. We’ve seen Minister Watt deliver his National Press Club address, and there’s a few things I would like to talk about from that. And one is he talked about an inflated bureaucracy, and that he’s not a fan of inflated bureaucracy, but what he’s doing is putting an EPA in place that will balloon out the public service, and he couldn’t answer the question on exactly how many new staff would be in that EPA. He also talked about indigenous engagement, yet the Minister actually forgot to engage with indigenous people, as we heard on the ABC this morning. That was reported.
SALLY SARA:
Angie Bell is the Shadow Minister for the Environment and joins me now in the studio. Angie Bell, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.
ANGIE BELL:
Great to be in the hot seat after Murray.
SALLY SARA:
There you are, yes. You’ve seen what the government is proposing. You’ve made it clear that you’re unhappy with of this Bill. Do you think you can negotiate to the point where it’s acceptable in your view or are you completely ruling it out?
ANGIE BELL:
Very good question, Sally. We’ve entered into good faith negotiations with the government, as the Minister just outlined. We have met a number of times. That’s true. In terms of a way forward, at the moment these bills are unworkable, as I have outlined several times. I think what Australians should be thinking about is if Labor were to do a deal with the Greens, what the consequences would be for productivity, for jobs and for investment in our country. And so, of course, we will continue in those good faith negotiations with the government. But at the moment, the way the Bills are, they are unworkable.
WILL GOODLINGS:
In Canberra at the moment, there’s debate over an attempt to reform the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Murray Watt’s taken carriage of this for the federal government and they tried to get bipartisan support for some changes. The Coalition, though, have said that this process is, at the moment, looking like it’s heading towards a resolution that’s worse than the current set of laws. The Federal Shadow Environment Minister, Angie Bell joins us. Angie Bell, good morning.
PETER STEFANOVIC:
Murray Watt will make a second attempt to overhaul Australia’s deadlocked environment laws when the new reforms are introduced to Parliament today. Senator Watt wants to pass the reforms by the end of the year and will say at the press club today, quote, “it’s now or never for a green tape overhaul.” Joining us live from Canberra this morning is the Shadow Environment Minister, Angie Bell. Thanks for your time this morning, Angie. So where are you at today ahead of the bill being introduced later on?