QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:43): Well, Senator Hanson, you might reject what I've just said, but what I've actually just said are the facts and the law. Now, Senator Hanson, it wasn't that long ago that your party was demanding that this government do something about hate preachers, and then you came to Canberra and voted against legislation to do something about hate preachers, so your consistency— Government senators interjecting — Senator Hanson: My point of order is on relevance.

That's got absolutely nothing to do with my question. The PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson, I will draw the minister back to your question, and I'll also ask those on my right to listen in respectful silence. Minister, I draw you back to the question.

Senator WATT: Thanks, President. Senator Hanson, you say that we have imposed some sort of double standard. What we've actually done is ask farmers to comply with exactly the same regulations that every other industry has had to comply with for the last 25 years.

Mining companies, renewables companies, property developers and anyone else who proposes a project that is likely to have a significant impact on the environment is required to have a federal assessment. That's now what we're asking of farmers in some situations. The other thing worth remembering, Senator Hanson, is that one of the reasons we've done this is to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which in our state supplies 77,000 jobs in the regional communities that you claim you represent.

The PRESIDENT: Senator Hanson, second supplementary?