QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Ms BOELE (Bradfield) (14:53): My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water. Minister, late last year this parliament passed important reforms to our nature laws, the EPBC Act. The changes allow states to be delegated approval powers that are traditionally federal ones.

Your government sold this to us on the promise that strong, outcomes focused national environmental standards would be in place before the states acquired those powers. Will the government once more assure the Australian people that the states will not be given increased powers until all of these critical standards are finalised?