Katy Gallagher says EPA deal with Greens could be revised next year despite Anthony Albanese’s intervention

Labor insists it still wants to pursue its promised environmental protection agency in 2025 amid fresh speculation as to why Anthony Albanese intervened this week to shelve the plan.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said Mr Albanese was committed to laws to establish the long-promised nature watchdog and wanted to revisit them when Federal Parliament is due back in February.

Senator Gallagher confirmed Labor was “close” to accepting a deal with the Greens but needed more time to consider the minor party’s proposed amendments, rather than rushing the EPA through alongside dozens of other bills on Parliament’s final sitting day of the year.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek had thrashed out an agreement with the Greens and independent David Pocock, which included a legislated timeframe to introduce national environmental standards, before Mr Albanese intervened to call it off.

The Prime Minister’s intervention followed lobbying from WA Premier Roger Cook and mining and business groups that feared the EPA could devastate the State’s economy.

Senator Gallagher, who was part of private meetings this week where the EPA bill was discussed, played down suggestions Mr Albanese overruled Mr Plibersek after the WA lobbying onslaught.

But Resources Minister Madeleine King - WA’s only cabinet minister - admitted there could have been a backlash against Labor in the State if a deal went through.

In a new twist to the saga, senior political and industry insiders believe Mr Albanese had another reason to shelve the EPA laws – Labor simply didn’t have the numbers.

While the Greens and David Pocock were on board, and possibly Lidia Thorpe as well, the potential kingmaker, ex-Labor senator Fatima Payman, was not locked in.

Minerals Council of Australia boss Tania Constable – one of the leading figures in the industry campaign to sink the laws – lobbied Senator Payman during a meeting in her Parliament House office on Tuesday afternoon.

Senator Payman’s office declined to comment on her position but a source to her told The Nightly: “The Government put new batteries in its calculator and found out it didn’t have the numbers”.

The Opposition used question time on Thursday to pressure Ms Plibersek on whether the Government was committed to reforming environmental protection laws this term.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley ended her question by asking Ms Plibersek if there were any “impediments” to her efforts, a deliberate reference to Mr Albanese’s intervention.

Ms Plibersek fired back, pointing out that as environment minister Ms Ley commissioned the review that underpinned Labor’s Nature Positive plan – but failed to act on its recommendations.

“The real mystery here is how (the Coalition), having commissioned Professor Graeme Samuel to have a really good look at our environmental laws, were not able to accept professor Samuel’s recommendations given to your government when you were minister,” she said, to loud shouts of “here here” from Mr Albanese.

Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young paid tribute to Ms Plibersek, who she claimed was overruled by a Prime Minister who was taking his advice from mining and logging interests.

Senator Hanson-Young said the Greens would campaign hard for strong new nature laws at the Federal election, which she said would be a “referendum on Mother Nature”.

After believing an EPA deal was over the line on Tuesday, Senator Hanson-Young said Labor advised the Greens negotiations were off “because there were some problems that the Government can’t overcome”.

While miners are breathing a sign of relief after the laws were shelved, grassroots Labor members are furious after the Government passed up the chance to deliver a key 2022 election promise.

“This was a chance to show strength and conviction. We know these are things the electorate are looking for from us. And we faltered,” Felicity Wade, the co-convenor of Labor’s grassroots environmental action group (LEAN) said.