MATTERS OF URGENCY

Senator BELL (New South Wales—One Nation Whip) (17:27): What Australia is currently dealing with here is essentially a 'uniparty' special because what we're dealing with is decisions made by Liberal governments and Labor governments in New South Wales and now a complete failure to take responsibility for these decisions or any action at a federal level. That is now severely impacting not just the state of New South Wales but the entire country.

A lot of the legislation that has resulted in this originated under the Liberal Party. There's a gentleman named Matt Kean who has his hands in this. It is so vitally important that the Australian people understand that what we are now having to deal with is the end result of what you will always get when you have governments obsessed with the net zero ideology.

It creeps into everything. It creeps into all parts of our legislative agenda. The next thing you know, you have a High Court forced to rule that, because of emissions from an overseas country and a box that hasn't been checked properly, a very important coalmine in the state of New South Wales cannot be expanded now.

The consequences of this will rattle through the entire economy. There are many things the federal government could do that aren't necessarily legislation but. if they wanted to legislate, they could. They have all the power in the world to do so.

The constitution allows them to do so. They could take steps, but they want to wash their hands of this, because they care more about their net zero obsession than they do about jobs—about important jobs in places like the Hunter Valley. Families are going to suffer because of these continued decisions.

It is upon all of us to ensure that we turn it around. That is why I'm very proud that One Nation in New South Wales has said they will destroy all of these net zero laws.