Nature Positive: Inside the ‘secret’ EPA deal that Anthony Albanese killed off
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese personally intervened to kill off a deal his Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, had sewn up with the Greens and David Pocock to create a Federal environment protection agency.
The Nightly can reveal the agreement was so concrete that discussions were underway for Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young and Senator Pocock to announce their support on Wednesday — before Mr Albanese stepped in.
The now-scuttled deal would have involved extra investment for research to combat invasive species and a legislated timeline for the promised suite of national environmental standards, according to multiple sources briefed on negotiations.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The Prime Minister sensationally overruled Ms Plibersek after last-minute lobbying from WA Premier Roger Cook and mining and industry groups who feared Labor was poised to strike a deal with the Greens on the second stage of its Nature Positive agenda.
The Nightly understands Mr Cook contacted Mr Albanese on Tuesday, who within hours confirmed to the Premier that there would be no deal with the Greens and the laws would not be debated in Parliament’s final sitting week of the year.
Mr Cook on Wednesday confirmed he spoke with the “highest levels” of the Federal Government to reaffirm that the WA Government didn’t want the EPA laws passed in their current form.
“I’m confident that particular situation has prevailed,” the Premier said.
Several industry groups, including the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA, were in direct contact with the WA Government over the course of Tuesday to relay serious concerns about a potential Labor-Greens deal – even if it didn’t include a “climate trigger”.
Two of those groups, CME and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, wrote to Mr Albanese warning him the proposed watchdog would cause “great damage” to the State.
The Greens last week dropped their demands for a “climate trigger” and were prepared to back the EPA laws if Labor agreed to act on native forest logging.
The Nightly understands the Greens and Senator Pocock were prepared to give even more ground after further talks with Ms Plibersek, clearing the path for Labor to deliver its 2022 election promise to create the EPA.
One condition was for Labor to legislate a clear timeline to introduce national environmental standards, which are slated for the third and final stage of the Nature Positive plan.
The crossbenchers discussed announcing the agreement on Wednesday before the Greens pulled out, accusing Mr Albanese of sinking the deal.
Senator Pocock still wants the EPA laws to pass this week and is considering making it a condition of his support for any Government attempt to ram through other bills before Parliament rises.
Senator Hanson-Young said Mr Albanese had been “bullied by the mining and logging lobby again”.
“The Greens put a deal on the table and the Government has walked away,” she said.
“The Greens want to get laws that would actually provide some protection for nature but Labor couldn’t even entertain protecting forests and critical habitat in an extinction crisis.”
In a statement to The Nightly, Ms Plibersek’s spokeswoman said the Bills were listed in the Senate and the Coalition, Greens and crossbenchers “can support them at any time”.
Labor insiders who want the laws passed believe the industry reaction has been overblown, given there is no “climate trigger”, any new restrictions to native forest logging or changes to how projects are assessed or the legal threshold to gain approval.
Labor’s grassroots environmental action group, who have campaigned for years for an EPA, said the Prime Minister’s intervention marked a “hard day for true believers”.
“The EPA was an election commitment. It has been in the National Platform since 2018 and is backed by 500 local ALP branches. It is core to our claim of caring about the natural environment,” the group’s national co-convenor Felicity Wade said.
“The Minister (Plibersek) had stared down the Greens. It seems the deal on the table avoided all the contentious stuff, it was sensible regulatory reform. All of it was existing government policy.
“This was a chance to show strength and conviction. We know these are things the electorate are looking for from us. And we faltered.”
CME chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson welcomed the PM’s intervention to shelve the EPA.
“Sensible minds have prevailed,” she said.
“We’ve advocated all along for Nature Positive reforms that are better for environment and better for business.
“This package of legislation, without our amendments, doesn’t achieve that.”
Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy said an independent environment protection agency was desperately needed to prevent further extinctions of plants and animals.
“Nature is crying out for thorough reform of Australia’s national nature protection laws,” she said.
“We urge our elected representatives to heed nature’s cry.”