Alannah Mactiernan (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion. We hear the most extraordinary amount of nonsense from those on the other side. Let us just talk about what has actually happened to the economy since the introduction of a carbon price. I refer to a very excellent article that appeared today in The Western Australiannot exactly a left-wing rag!—where it is claimed:

The economy has grown 5 per cent since the advent of the carbon tax. Employment has grown by 240,000 to a record 11.6 million. Total gross operating profits of all companies have climbed almost 11 per cent. … House prices, wealth and superannuation holdings—approaching $1.8 trillion—have all increased.

So let us get very clear that—whilst we acknowledge that there has been an impact on small business—overall, the economy has thrived, notwithstanding the introduction of this carbon price.

I want to go to the fundamental problem that I see—that is, this great schizophrenia that we see coming from the government. We have government members coming in, day after day, talking about the confected budget crisis—which does not exist—and saying that they have to address this. Mr Abbott talks about the 'ultimate unfairness' of saddling our children and grandchildren with the burden; the Minister for Small Business says that we must embrace the opportunity so that we can be proud of what we leave to our kids; and they talk about intergenerational theft. But the great intergenerational theft is going to be what we are doing by our inaction on climate change. I know that there are many people on the other side of this place who are people of goodwill. I just do not understand how you can come in here, day after day, and pretend that we do not have a problem and that the legacy that you are leaving your children and your grandchildren is not going to be profoundly compromised by your complete and utter refusal to accept the science.

We have heard from the member for Tangney; we know he's a bit eccentric on these things. He is a full-on climate-change denier. But there are many people on that side who must be concerned about the reports that we hear from the CSIRO. Let me just summarise some of the risks that came out in the most recent IPCC report this year: is this the world that you want to leave your children and your grandchildren? The report talks about:

Risk of death, injury, ill-health, or disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones—

where most Australian populations are—

…due to storm surges, coastal flooding, and sea-level rise.

Risk of severe ill-health and disrupted livelihoods for large urban populations due to inland flooding…

Systemic risks due to extreme weather events leading to breakdown of infrastructure networks and critical services such as electricity, water supply, and health and emergency services.

The IPCC mentions the 'risk of mortality and morbidity during periods of extreme heat, particularly for vulnerable urban populations and those working outdoors in urban or rural areas.' It goes on. These risks are very profound—and yet we are saying that, somehow or other, we are looking after small business and looking after our community by just closing our eyes to this and pretending that it does not exist.

Even at a more immediate level—and even if all we are interested in is cost—let us look at some of the costs that are occurring for our community and for small business from our inability to deal with climate change. It is well-established now that the massive decline in rainfall and in streamflow caused by the changing distribution of rain has occurred in Western Australia. That has led to massive increased costs: it has led to the necessity to have desalination, and desalination has led to a minimum ten-per-cent increase in water costs. Insurance costs are predicted to rise by as much as 90 per cent. There is a cost to local governments of having to mitigate against climate change—building seawalls and strengthening dams. All of these are costs that are going to impact very greatly on small business. Let us get our numbers right on this. And let us get our morality right. (Time expired)

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