Campbell faces censure over wind farm.


The Senate is considering a censure motion against the federal Environment Minister, Ian Campbell, over his decision to stop a wind farm in south-eastern Victoria.
In April, Senator Campbell stopped the proposal for the Bald Hills wind farm in south Gippsland, because it could threaten the endangered orange-bellied parrot.
But last week he said he would consider new plans after the developers, Windpower, agreed to withdraw a Federal Court challenge to his decision.
Labor Senator Kerry O'Brien has accused Senator Campbell of using the parrot as an excuse to block the wind farm when his real reason was a political favour.
"Hasn't the Minister ignored his department, broken legal precedent and threatened millions of dollars of coastal development all for the sake of propping up a Liberal Party mate in a marginal seat," he said.
Senator Campbell has rejected the claims, labelling the censure motion as the most pathetic he has ever seen.
"After 20 minutes of bluster and repetition Mr Deputy President, I sat here with my notebook waiting for Senator Evans to say something that I could actually take a note of and respond to," he said.
"The notebook is basically as blank as it was."
The censure motion is likely to be defeated on party lines.