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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Lisa Cox Environment and climate correspondent

Graeme Samuel calls for Labor to ditch ‘national interest’ workaround for environment laws

A man in a suit speaks in a Senate inquiry and holds one hand out
Graeme Samuel appeared on Friday at a Senate hearing that is examining the Albanese government’s proposed reforms to natura laws. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

The former competition watchdog chief Graeme Samuel says the government should axe its proposal to allow the environment minister to make decisions in breach of national laws if it is deemed in the “national interest”.

Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, also argued a loophole that effectively exempts native forest logging from the laws “shouldn’t be there”.

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