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Monday, 23 August 2021
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Senator HANSON (Queensland—Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation) (13:26): [by video link] by leave—I move the amendments to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Titles Administration and Other Measures) Bill 2021, circulated in the name of One Nation, together:

(1) Schedule 2, item 46, page 68 (line 4), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(2) Schedule 2, item 46, page 68 (line 12), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(3) Schedule 2, item 46, page 68 (line 21), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(4) Schedule 2, item 46, page 69 (line 2), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(5) Schedule 2, item 46, page 69 (lines 11 and 12), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(6) Schedule 2, item 46, page 69 (line 17), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(7) Schedule 2, item 46, page 69 (lines 21 and 22), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

(8) Schedule 2, item 46, page 69 (line 31), omit "1 January 2021", substitute "1 January 2015".

The government has put forward to charge a levy of 48c a barrel on oil clean-up costs. In light of it, yes, there are oil companies that have not done the right thing and we do need to protect the environment. As I've stated, in the last budget by the federal government there was talk about introducing a levy that would bring money into the coffers to clean up future environmental damage. The trouble is that we haven't seen that legislation. It hasn't been presented to the parliament. We're looking at a bill now that is going to charge the levy, but we haven't the bill that will put that levy in place. We're putting the cart before the horse.

What I'm saying is: Woodside purposely unloaded their assets in the Northern Endeavour so they wouldn't be up for the billions of dollars in costs. I investigated the Northern Endeavour for quite a time, going back three years. At Senate estimates I asked questions of Senator Matt Canavan, who was the minister for resources, with regard to the Northern Endeavour. I was told it was due to environmental issues that it was shut down. There was no clear proof of anything. They said there was an object on the deck of the ship. Then they said it was for health and safety reasons that it was shut down, not environmental issues. But the ship was getting to the end of its life. That's why Woodside unloaded it. An Australian company took it on and was shut down and—I believe—badly dealt with by NOPSEMA. When I queried that, the minister couldn't answer the questions. There needs to be a full investigation into what happened there, with Australians losing their jobs.

What I'm saying about this legislation—and I know we don't like to do things retrospectively—is that you can't deny that Woodside unloaded this for $24 million to avoid paying hundreds of millions, possibly up to a billion dollars, to clean it up. Why should it be at the cost of the taxpayer? Why should they have to fork out this money? It is so wrong. Why do we keep protecting these multimillion dollar companies—

Progress reported.