Ms Laura Burke:

The advisory council has not discussed the issue the Senator raises. In a way it comes back to my first comment on setting up a single Department for climate change. To do so would put the issue "over there", as it were. It may be a simple solution and sometimes simple solutions work. However, as the question has been asked, I will give a personal view, which is not the view of the EPA. I believe that having a Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, as we now do, along with these types of committees and the engagement of the various Departments may be more productive than having an independent body.

What would be its powers if a democratically elected Government decides something else is more important? It is about trying to figure out what exactly this would look like versus the theory. I am having a little difficulty seeing how it would work. As I said, that may be teased out.