Murray Watt dodges questions about Tanya Plibersek’s tenure as environment minister

Anthony Albanese’s new environment tsar has bragged about his abilities to work in tough portfolios in response to questions about his predecessor, Tanya Plibersek.

Murray Watt was sworn into the environment portfolio this week as part of the Prime Minister’s reshuffle, with Ms Plibersek getting moved to social services.

Ms Plibersek drew ire from both environmentalists and industrialists while heading the ministry in the Albanese government’s first term.

Senator Watt on Sunday said he would “leave it to commentators … to determine why I’ve been put in this role” but that his record spoke for itself.

“I think my record does show that I’m someone who can bring different groups together and make decisive decisions and then get matters passed through the Senate,” the Environment Minister told Sky News.

“I did that in my agriculture role when it came to live sheep exports, which was a very controversial issue, but we got the job done there.

“I’ve done that when it comes to the CFMEU administration, getting difficult, contentious legislation through the parliament.

“And that’s the sort of approach I’ll be taking here.”

Senator Watt said he thought “the whole Australian community recognises we need to see reform”.

“And what I see from the community is that they want to see politicians, business groups, governments, environmental groups, working together, coming up with common solutions, rather than just pitting each other at each other all the time,” he said.

A senior figure in Labor’s NSW left faction, Ms Plibersek was gunning for the party leadership against Mr Albanese when Bill Shorten stepped down following the 2019 election.

She has said she “would have won” but needed to drop her bid for family reasons.

Mr Albanese intervened on several issues in Ms Plibersek’s old portfolio, including halting a deal she struck with the Senate crossbench to pass legislation for a new environmental protection agency.

He also bypassed her and introduced legislation to protect Tasmania’s salmon farming industry while she was reviewing if licences were being approved properly.

Asked if Mr Albanese’s actions had helped push up the vote for Labor, Senator Watt said the federal election “results demonstrate that Australians, pretty much in all states, supported the agenda of the Albanese government”.

“I think that there is a strong endorsement of Labor’s approach when it comes to managing the environment,” he said.

“And I think we saw in the election a real rejection from the Australian people of the extreme left and right of politics, which have said that you’ve got to have one or the other.

“You know, people didn’t want to see the Greens blocking environmental for reform and saying no to everything.

“Equally, they didn’t support the coalition’s approach in saying that every single development should go through without any conditions.

“People want to see that middle ground where we do protect both the jobs and environment, and I think it’s been demonstrated that only Labor can provide that.”

Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell has discussed the "awkward" campaign moment which unfolded between Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Anthony Albanese have both attempted to brush off their recent awkward moment at the Prime Minister's campaign launch in Perth on Sunday. Footage captured Mr Albanese smiling as he walked into the room with his fiancée Jodie Haydon, shaking hands with various Labor frontbenchers, including Health Minister Mark Butler and Treasurer Jim Chalmers. The awkward moment then unfolded when Mr Albanese reached Ms Plibersek as the Environment Minister went in for a hug. The Prime Minister instead grabbed her hands, not leaning in for the embrace, with Ms Plibersek then giving a quick air kiss. "I noticed it live, that's how awkward it was," Mr Clennell said.

Senator Watt also said he had not come to a decision on whether to approve extending the North West Shelf Project, adding that it was “a little bit early for me to be doing that”.

“I’ve certainly had some preliminary briefings from my department about this particular project and the approval that needs to be made,” he said.

“It is my intention to make that decision by May 31, which is the current deadline there. “I recognise this is a decision that’s been taking a long time between the Western Australian government in particular, and the federal government, so I do want to make that decision within the current time frame, but I genuinely, genuinely haven’t reached a position on that, and I’ll be expecting formal briefings from the department in coming days.”

If approved, Woodside Energy would be able to continue producing LNG in Karratha — some 1500 km north of Perth — until 2070.

Climate and environment groups have warned it could hurt efforts to reach net-zero and threaten a 50,000-year-old natural rock art gallery.