Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday I joined thousands of South Australians, including the federal member for Port Adelaide, Mark Butler, Labor Senator Anne McEwen, former Member for Hindmarsh and Labor's candidate for Hindmarsh at the next federal election, Steve Georganas, and other SA members of parliament at the climate rally in Adelaide. People, young and old, from all walks of life, including from various faith communities, came out to show their support for meaningful global climate change outcomes at the Paris conference that is now underway.

I did not see, however, any SA Liberal MPs at the rally. I did not see current Member for Hindmarsh nor the Member for Sturt nor the Member for Mayo. For them it seems climate change is just an inconvenient truth for which they are not prepared to make any hard decisions or personal effort in order to respond to the risks posed. Young people, who have followed the science and who expect to be here in 2050, know that climate change will impact on their lives. They also know that it is a global problem in which every country shares responsibility and must respond accordingly. It is their future that is at stake, and their future is in the hands of politicians. Coalition members may find it politically expedient to keep kicking the climate change can down the road to save their political careers, but ultimately they will be judged harshly for their selfishness and their failure to support effective action on climate change.

See this speech in context