Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

about the consequences of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, I can tell him that the dark cloud has arrived. If the Prime Minister thinks that the Australian people are going to forgive him for six months of lack of action, they certainly will not forgive him for 11 years of lack of action on climate change. In failing to square up to the parliament and the people and answer the questions that were put to him repeatedly—on occasion after occasion—and only now, in this phantom campaign which the Prime Minister finally acknowledges exists, in bringing himself into the House to deal with those questions, the Prime Minister is well censured.

It is true that my mouth is dry because I feel deeply for the future of this country. I feel that under this Prime Minister we have not been led to deal with climate change and to respond to it and we have not been led in a way which gives confidence. There is a responsible future government here that understands the campaign is underway. The Prime Minister stands condemned.

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