Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

What we are seeing here yet again is the fact that the climate change sceptics opposite do not even accept the basic science of climate change. Therefore they cannot come to the table to have a sensible discussion about what we must do not only in terms of putting a price on carbon but also driving the essential technological development that we need for the decades ahead. Carbon capture and storage is an area where, as one of the largest coal exporters in the world, we do need to make some very substantial progress. As an economy we produce a lot of coal and we export a lot of coal. We have a very big interest in developing carbon capture and storage technology. That is precisely what the institute is doing. It is not something that those on the other side of the House understand or appreciate, but from our point of view we will not be deterred from meeting the challenges of dangerous climate change and supporting our very important coal industry.

Mr Hockey interjecting—

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