Tuesday, 17 March 2020

Bills

Constitution Amendment (Fracking Ban) Bill 2020

Introduction and first reading

Mr PALLAS (Werribee—Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (12:59): I move:

That I introduce a bill for an act to amend the Constitution Act 1975 to constrain the power of the Parliament to make laws repealing, altering or varying certain provisions that prohibit hydraulic fracturing and coal seam gas exploration and mining and for other purposes.

Motion agreed to.

Mr R SMITH (Warrandyte) (12:59): I am very glad the Treasurer has adopted coalition policy, and I wonder why it has taken so long to actually introduce the bill. Can the Treasurer please give a brief explanation of the bill?

The SPEAKER: Order! I warn the member for Warrandyte. If members wish to seek a brief explanation, they can do so. If they wish to make a speech, they will not be heard.

Mr M O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, while the convention of the house may be that on the first reading there is a very brief debate, there is nothing actually in the standing orders which requires that and it is actually open to any member to engage in a substantive debate. In those circumstances I would suggest that the member for Warrandyte was not out of order.

The SPEAKER: I would advise the Leader of the Opposition that on the question of the first reading the member may ask for a brief explanation, but debate is not allowed under standing order 61. I will ask the Treasurer to provide the house with a brief explanation.

Mr PALLAS: Consistent with our commitment before the last election, which was that we would amend the Constitution Act 1975 in order to introduce a bill to entrench the current prohibitions on fracking and coal seam gas, mining or exploration within the Victorian Constitution Act 1975, that is exactly what this government is doing: living up to our commitment to the Victorian people, and, might I say, entirely contradictory to what those opposite proposed. They did not at any stage propose a constitutional amendment to give effect to this prohibition in perpetuity.

Read first time.

Ordered to be read a second time tomorrow.