Statement from the Minister for the Environment and Water

I’m thrilled to be appointed as Minister for the Environment and Water by the Prime Minister. 

Our natural environment and water supply is the foundation of life on earth and only a Labor Government can advance its long-term conservation. 

Australia is blessed with a unique environment and biodiversity. And Labor has a proud environmental legacy, including Bob Hawke’s dedication to saving the Franklin River, our work to protect Antarctica from mining, and our work to protect our oceans, started under the Rudd and Gillard Governments and continued last term.

Protecting Australia’s spectacular natural environment, being a good international partner and facilitating sustainable economic development will all be fundamental principles throughout this term. 

There’s a lot to do over the next three years, starting today, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.

I’m also looking forward to working closely again with the environmental, farming, mining, tourism, traditional owner and other business groups, with whom I’ve developed strong relationships in my previous roles.

I pay tribute to the great work done by Tanya Plibersek in this portfolio, and I look forward to continuing that work over the course of this term.

Finally, I thank all I worked with in the Employment & Workplace Relations portfolio. I’m proud of what we achieved together - more secure jobs, better pay, record job creation and a record low gender pay gap to name a few.

And it’s even better that those wins for working people were such a key part of an historic Labor win at the recent election. 

The future of industrial relations and employment in this country is in good hands with Amanda Rishworth at the helm of that portfolio.