{"id":19907,"date":"2024-12-01T00:39:12","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T00:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=19907"},"modified":"2024-12-01T00:39:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T00:39:12","slug":"prime-minister-anthony-albanese-puts-big-asterisk-on-pursuit-of-epa-claims-tanya-plibersek-kept-in-the-loop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=19907","title":{"rendered":"Prime Minister Anthony Albanese puts big asterisk on pursuit of EPA, claims Tanya Plibersek kept in the loop"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anthony Albanese is committed to creating a federal environment watchdog but only on Labor\u2019s terms, as the fallout continues to his intervention to shelve the controversial plan during Parliament\u2019s final sitting week of the year.<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese faced a barrage of questions on Sunday about his decision to scuttle a deal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek reached with the Greens to deliver Labor\u2019s promised EPA.<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister said he told Ms Plibersek the deal was off before the Greens were advised, disputing suggestions he went behind the minister\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

He said the fate of the EPA took up just \u201c10 to 15 minutes\u201d of the hours of discussions about the Government\u2019s priorities during Parliament\u2019s chaotic final week, which ended with the passage of 45 bills.<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese\u2019s intervention \u2013 which followed lobbying from WA Premier Roger Cook and WA miners \u2014 leaves the future of the EPA in serious doubt with the Federal election fast approaching.<\/p>\n

In an interview on ABC\u2019s Insiders program., Mr Albanese said it was still his \u201cintention to proceed\u201d with laws to establish the nature watchdog.<\/p>\n

But he stressed that would happen only \u201con the basis of our values\u201d, clearly signalling Labor wouldn\u2019t be offering major concessions to the Greens and crossbench to get it across the line.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we want to do is to ensure that there is proper protection of the environment, of sustainability, but also speedier approvals for things that should be approved,\u201d Mr Albanese said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want jobs to be created, we want industry to be supported and that\u2019s why we need to get the balance right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just four days ago, on Tuesday, Ms Plibersek reached an agreement with the Greens and independent senator David Pocock to end a months-long deadlock over the EPA \u2013 a 2022 Labor election promise.<\/p>\n