CANBERRA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out sacking his energy minister over his links to alleged illegal land clearing.
The opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) on Tuesday ramped up its campaign against Angus Taylor, the minister for energy and emissions reduction, demanding that he step down.
Taylor has interest in a family company, Jam Land Pty Ltd, which was investigated over the alleged poisoning of endangered grasslands.
The ALP's attacks are focused on a 2017 meeting between Josh Frydenberg, the then environment minister, officials from the Environment Department and Taylor, which took place during the investigation into the land clearing.
During an appearance on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio in July, Taylor said that environmentally protecting grasslands "has the potential to have a very big impact on farming across the region."
"I make absolutely no apologies for standing up for farmers in my region. That includes me and other family members."
Addressing parliament on Tuesday, Labor leader Anthony Albanese said that those comments clearly proved that Taylor had put his own interests ahead of those of the public.
"Will the prime minister do what he should have done weeks ago and sack this minister?" Albanese asked.
Morrison declared that he would not be lectured on corruption by the ALP.
The ALP and Greens joined forces in July to establish a Senate inquiry into Taylor's conduct but were unsuccessful in doing so.
