QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:43): What our laws do is deliver national environmental standards for the first time we've ever seen in Australian law. What our laws do is lift the penalties on business when they breach the law when it comes to the environment. What our laws do is require proponents by law to avoid and mitigate environmental impacts before they offset their environment, and what our laws do is require proponents of projects to deliver a net gain for the environment when it comes to environmental offsets.

They are just four of the many reasons why the Greens should support these laws, but we know they're always more interested in grandstanding.