Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The government believes that the great challenge for the world is to do two things. One is to address the issue of climate change, and the other is to do so in a way that does not destroy jobs and does not destroy the ambitions of developing countries to achieve higher living standards. That is why the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, AP6, is such a sensible proposal.

That great intellectual giant, the Leader of the Opposition, says that the officials cannot persuade anybody in the States to support it. The Americans will be participating in the working groups along with the Chinese, the Indians, the Koreans, the Japanese and, of course, the Australians. We will be participating in working groups in South Korea during the course of next month, when we will consider 90 different projects dealing with the question of transfers of technology to developing countries, the introduction of new technologies and issues such as cleaner fossil fuels and support for renewable energy. This is a practical way of addressing an important issue without destroying jobs and without undermining the capacity of developing countries to improve living standards.

Kyoto does nothing to address this issue. The Labor Party is trying to convince the Australian public it cares about climate change, so it says it would ratify Kyoto. But the fact is, as I have explained, it will not address climate change and, as we know from statements the member for Grayndler has made, Labor has not supported the AP6 initiative.

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