Today the Greens tried to duplicate the work of The Nationals and the Liberals who are already undertaking to investigate the serious concerns that surround issues pertaining to mining and coal seam gas.
The Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee, instigated early in the year, has undertaken in consultation with me, an inquiry that deals with the “implications from mining and gas extraction” as well as a committee which will examine:
The economic, social and environmental impacts of mining coal seam gas on:
• the sustainability of water aquifers and future water licensing arrangements
• the property rights and values of landholders
• the sustainability of prime agricultural land and Australia’s food task
• the social and economic benefits or otherwise for regional towns and the effective management of relationships between mining and other interests
• other related matters including health impacts
The Greens created what appears to be an attempt to duplicate the enquiry in the Environment Committee, no doubt doubling the costs and halving the outcome. They took the proposition to a vote as per normal without lobbying for any support. They piously made grandiose statements completely misleading the constituency that they seek to assist and by so doing created more torment because of the insincerity of their purpose. Naturally enough, their lack of dedication of gaining support meant that their vote failed.
The Nationals and others abstained from the vote. Senator Bob Brown misled the Senate by stating that the Nationals voted against his reference and when asked to correct the record Senator Brown refused.
In summary, long before Senator Brown thought about this issue, the Nationals along with the Liberals, had set up an inquiry to pursue this issue. On clear display for Australia was the caustic politics of the Greens more interested in the wedge than the effort, more interested in the statement than the fact.