Just finished hearings with the Enviro Minister. @amymacsouthbris asked some great questions on coal, emissions and climate action. Unfortunately, the new Minister either didn't have the questions or didn't want to answer. Remember this square? Qld Environment Minister wouldn't indicate whether these 18 new coal mines will still be operating in 2050, and whether that's consistent with the governments’ target for net zero emissions by 2050.

https://twitter.com/mcberkman/status/1318104112693616641?s=20

Here's an archetypal good vs evil battle happening in my electorate: Clive Palmer has built a big, ugly, concrete fence around his property, and apparently it's blocking the path a family of ducks used to take to swim in the pond. Thread 👇 A few weeks ago my office started getting complaints for Fig Tree Pocket locals that Clive Palmer (yes, **the** Clive Palmer) had put up a huge concrete fence around a property he owns on Jesmond Rd in Fig Tree Pocket.

I'm in Qld Budget Estimates with @amymacsouthbris and so far the lack of scrutiny seems even worse than previous years. Filibustering, dixers, and Government chairs making politically convenient rulings about which questions they'll answer... I'll post updates in this thread. First off, they seem to be having trouble accepting that the Greens doubled their representation in Parliament.

Instead of treating @amymacsouthbris and I like separate MPs, they'll bizarrely refer to us together - 'does the Member for Maiwar or South Brisbane have a question'?

Just had a briefing with Qld ministers on legislation to be debated by Parliament tomorrow.

Rather than implementing a moratorium on evictions like they're meant to, these new laws *create extra grounds* for landlords to evict a tenant during COVID-19. Thread: The Qld Government is proposing that the ban on evictions should ONLY apply to tenants who can prove they’re affected by COVID-19. Anyone else can be kicked out.

Aren't we trying to keep everyone inside? How does this help us keep the whole community safe?

Happening now in Qld Parliament: we're now debating Labor's laws against peaceful protest. Switching off the smoke alarm instead of fighting the fire. Police Minister Ryan started giving his speech, but was interrupted by lunch (1-2pm). I'll let you know when we're back. We're back on protest laws. Several Labor and LNP members have already spoken. Right now David Crisafulli (LNP) is giving a hyperventilating speech about Extinction Rebellion "their sole aim is anarchy."

Wrong. Climate justice is about love. Love for our home & for each other.

OK HERE WE GO. I'll be tweeting out a (long) thread of the highlights of today's rushed Committee hearing on Labor's laws against peaceful protest. First up is the Qld Council of Unions (QCU). You can watch live here: tv.parliament.qld.gov.au/Committees?ref… Michael Clifford, Acting General Secretary of the Qld Council of Unions opens the day. The QCU does NOT support the laws. The search powers, very broad and vague definitions of "dangerous attachment device" and a dangerous slippery slope.

Here's what shoddy, inadequate scrutiny looks like. Qld Labor are rushing through laws against peaceful protest. Submissions on the Bill closed Tues midday. Yesterday, the public hearing scheduled for 21 October was suddenly pushed forward to this Friday on the Premier's say-so.. As the only MP opposing the laws, I still haven't seen the submissions, and still haven't seen the list of witnesses. The hearing starts in 20 hours. Expert witnesses were given less than 48 hours' notice of the new hearing date.

This is such a shocking response. I've tried to set out why:
1/ I spent years at EDO fighting in court to make sure Qld enviro laws did recognise climate impacts of digging up & exporting coal = "environmental harm" (called "Scope 3" emissions).

https://twitter.com/reblev/status/1131418584926773248

Unfortunately, in the Court of Appeal, lawyers for the Qld Labor govt (working for Steven Miles) argued in court that Qld envt laws did NOT cover these impacts (i.e. 90% of the climate impacts from coal mine). Ironically, the govt lawyers were defending the Qld approval of..

Huge turnout at our forum to save Mt Coot-tha, stop the LNP's mega-zip line. We're here to reclaim control of our city. #qldpol #bne Di Glynn and Peter Hale from Mt Coot-tha Protection Alliance: the mountain belongs to traditional custodians, and to all of us. The impact on the Botanic Gardens will be massive. Huge applause from the crowd.