Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I certainly will, and I have something special for you too. It was based on exaggeration, based on fear, based on the worst-case scenario if Australia does nothing—based on the worst-case scenario if the world does nothing. It is all about the Labor Party jumping to Kyoto and jumping to carbon trading before they even have solutions. It is all about the Labor Party living in the past with Kyoto, which is already destined to be remembered as a protocol which did not deliver significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The reality is that the Labor Party continue to pretend that Australia is being left out. Can I just correct the record: Australia is at the centre of discussions in relation to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The promoters of the Stern report met with Australia when I was in Monterrey, Mexico six weeks ago and highlighted the fact that Australia had a lot to offer. You do not have to take my word for that. You can quote Margaret Beckett, who said of Australia this morning on AM:

They certainly were involved in the wider conference that has become the Gleneagles dialogue. And played quite a major role there.

I cochaired the session with the Minister for Trade and Industry from the United Kingdom, Malcolm Wicks. If that is being ‘left out’, I cannot believe that the member for Grayndler could make such an outrageous and preposterous suggestion. Australia is involved in this process.

The Leader of the Opposition says he is going to fix it. He is going to fix it for the member for Cunningham; he is going to fix it for the member for Charlton; he is going to fix it for the member for Hunter, when he is not thrown out of this chamber; he is going to fix it for the member for Capricornia; and he is going to fix it for the member for Newcastle.

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