Peter Costello (Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

This was the government that probably put more money into the environment than any other government in Australian history. I do not think that is challenged. Perhaps we could go back and have a look at the Hawke government. The high point of the Hawke government was Graham Richardson standing out at Wentworth, as I recall, and promising a million trees. The member for Grayndler is shaking his hand. Don’t shake your hand; I know Graham Richardson was a good factional friend of yours, Albo—a close personal friend. There was Richo, trampling on the fauna, trampling on the flora and promising to be a good environmentalist.

But that was the record of the Hawke government. We funded the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Action Plan on Salinity and the Greenhouse Office. We are the government that has launched an emissions trading scheme that I think is the best anywhere in the world.

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