Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke’s plan to attend the United Nation's sustainable development conference is in tatters after the Federal Opposition denied him pair to attend.

 

Rather than represent Australia on the global stage, Minister Burke will be forced to stay in Australia to defend the Government’s marine park expansion plan.

 

The move by the Opposition has drawn fire from both Federal Labor and the Greens, with Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne slamming the Opposition’s tactics as ‘absolutely disgraceful.’

 

"This is a once in a decade meeting - 20 years on from the original Earth Summit in Rio. This is where the world recognises the problems we have with the global environment,” Senator Milne told the ABC.

 

Nationals Leader Senator Barnaby Joyce defended the move, saying the move to exponentially expand the country’s marine park network would wreak havoc amongst for industry.

 

"What Mr Burke wants to do is create absolute pandemonium on sections of the coast, go into people's lives and make them poorer, and then fly off to Rio and brag about it," Senator Joyce told the ABC.