Australian news and politics live: Coalition blasts ‘unreasonable’ EPBC overhaul as Watt pushes deadline

Shadow environment minister Angie Bell told media earlier this morning that “I have not received the amendments as I walked up to this press conference, I have not got any amendments that I can have a look at”.

That was at 8.31am Canberra time.

The Government scoffed at the suggestion that the Coalition didn’t know what it was offering them by way of compromise.

The technical amendments it sent to both Ms Bell and Liberal senator Jonno Duniam have now dropped off the back of a proverbial truck (although with no time stamp of when they were sent), as have the ones offered to the Greens.

To seal a deal with the Coalition, Labor is offering to keep existing streamlined pathways, put a 14-day time limit on stop work orders, add an explanation that the maximum penalties should only apply to the most egregious breaches, and either give the minister the power to make directions to the head of the new EPA or to allow for their sacking if their performance in unsatisfactory.

These would meet four of the seven things the Coalition wants changed – with the notable outstanding items being the definitions of “unacceptable impacts” and “net gain”, which industry worries are too ambiguous.

To the Greens, Minister Murray Watt has offered a range of limits to fast-tracking or overriding approvals of fossil fuel projects, requiring States to show they can do assessments under Federal laws before being allowed to do approvals too, and giving the Federal minister power to declare that a project being assessed by the States needs Commonwealth approval.

Nationals backbencher Michael McCormack has again urged Barnaby Joyce to stay in the party after attending a dinner with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson overnight.

Their feast, which included steaks cooked in a sandwich press in her office, came after weeks of speculation over whether Mr Joyce would ditch the Nationals for her minor party.

While Mr McCormack joked it was a “high steaks” meeting, he encouraged his long-time colleague to stay in the party, which continuously supported his run in the seat of New England.

“It would’ve been interesting to be a fly the wall there last night,” he told Sky on Tuesday.

“Look, if they choose to have a meal together, that’s fine. I have meals with people across the other side of the aisle.

“I just hope Barnaby decides soon that the Nationals are the place for him to reside.

“They were the ones who elected him. They were the ones who helped finance his campaigns.

“He owes it to them, and he owes it to those people right across regional Australia who vote for the Coalition to remain with the Coalition.”

Shadow environment minister Angie Bell and Jonno Duniam, who held the portfolio last term and is leading negotiations in the Senate, have fronted cameras to complain they haven’t seen any actual amendments from the Government to meet their demanded changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act overhaul.

Environment Minister Murray Watt is adamant he’ll strike a deal with either the Coalition or the Greens this week, but both opposing parties are resisting his timeline.

“It is entirely and utterly unreasonable that at this point in time, we have not seen any of these substantive changes put forward that we would like to see in the EPBC Act, if it is to be passed this week,” Ms Bell said on Tuesday morning.

“And so I’ll say to the Minister, the ball is firmly in your court.”

Senator Duniam said the Opposition had been “working in good faith” with the Government and it was Labor who had imposed the arbitrary deadline.

“It does not seem right that a government is happy to deal with us on the one hand, to make it easier for critical minerals projects, for fossil fuel projects, for major scale developments, but at the same time, go and do a deal with the Greens to kill off native forestry or ban new coal and gas or put restrictions on projects that might have heavy emissions counts attached to them. So what is this Government really up to?” he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed China’s third-most powerful figure Chairman Zhao Leji.

Mr Albanese said Australia’s relationship with China is “built on strong bonds between our people”.

“It’s important for our economy, security and the stability of our region.

“By having regular and direct dialogue, we can explore areas of cooperation, navigate our differences and advocate for Australia’s interests.”

The PM met with Chairman Zhao for breakfast in Canberra. Before the meeting, politicians were warned to turn their phones off for security purposes.

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has followed through on her ‘home-cooked’ dinner offer for renegade Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, cooking up a storm on a sandwich press in her office.

Senator Hanson, who is attempted to lure Mr Joyce to One Nation after his relationship with the Nationals broke down, could be seen cooking steaks on a sandwich press in a kitchenette nook of her Canberra office.

A cucumber, tomato, and onion salad, and a pasta salad, were also on the menu for the two politicians’ Parliament House feast.

Whether the dinner will result in Mr Joyce joining One Nation remains to be seen.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is meeting this morning with senior Chinese Communist Party official Zhao Leji, a day after Federal politicians were warned to take security precautions during his visit.

The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China is wrapping up his four-day visit to Australia by having breakfast with Anthony Albanese in his office before touring the National Gallery.

On Monday, the Department of Parliamentary Services emailed MPs and staff advising them to shut doors and blinds and place their phones and iPads in “lockdown mode” during his visit to the building.

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson says her stunt, wearing a burqa in the Senate for the second time, has exposed the “complete and utter hypocrisy” of her colleagues.

“They were outraged, but not for the right reasons as usual,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

“I wanted to expose their complete and utter hypocrisy. They made the usual noises of outrage to cover their own embarrassment and complicity in making Australia less safe, in making Australia a haven for cultures which force women to wear these offensive garments, and in setting back women’s rights by decades.

“And of course, Labor and the Greens just whined about giving offense (sic) to those cultures without ever acknowledging that vastly more Australians are offended by burqas and what they represent. Greens are happy to wear symbols of terrorism in the chamber and are allowed to do so.”

Senator Hanson, who is frustrated her burqa ban bill was denied introduction in the Senate, says the garment should be outlawed over concerns for “community safety, national security, women’s rights, public civility and social cohesion”.