Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is a government that has failed to take any effective action on climate change, at a time when Australians are constantly calling out for action. We just saw thousands of young people taking to the streets and making their voices heard. They want action from this government, yet the Liberals and Nationals have walked away completely from their responsibility to address climate change. They have walked away from their responsibility to future generations, because this government just doesn't listen and just doesn't care. They're too consumed with talking about themselves and with their chaos and their dysfunction, which are on full display. This is also a government of climate change deniers—in particular, the National Party. As I often say in this House, National Party choices hurt. Can I tell you: when the National Party choose not to take action on climate change, that hurts regional and rural Australia. It's only this side that understands the needs of regional Australia.

In contrast to all the current government's inaction, a Shorten Labor government will make taking action on climate change a priority. It is our promise to future generations to take that action. Of course, as we've said, our preference is to achieve a bipartisan agreement on energy policy, but the Prime Minister and his government are too divided and too out of touch to agree on a policy that can lower power prices, boost renewables and address climate change. That's what's needed.

The fact is that, under this chaotic government, carbon pollution is continuing to go up and up, and this after pollution actually fell under the previous Labor government. This government's latest data, released on Friday, shows carbon emissions are now at their highest level since 2011. We are now essentially the only major advanced economy where greenhouse gases are rising rather than coming down. We are not meeting our targets, and the government has no plan. We have a massive environmental and economic challenge in getting pollution levels down. Recent studies have shown that the 20 warmest years on record have been in the past 22 years, and the last four have been the hottest. Just today we heard from the world-renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who said:

The world's people have spoken. … Time is running out. They want you, the decision-makers, to act now.

Leaders of the world, you must lead. The continuation of our civilisations, and the natural world upon which we depend, is in your hands.

But this government just doesn't care. And why is that? Because the climate change deniers have taken over the government; that's why. They're the ones whose run the show.

The fact is that we have a Prime Minister and a government who refuse to act. The only way to get action from Canberra on climate change is to change the government. That's the only way. The Liberals and Nationals have presided over an unprecedented energy crisis that has seen power prices skyrocket and pollution rise while investment confidence has been smashed. That's the reality. Quite frankly, this is a government of environmental vandals. We see it federally and we see it at a state level in New South Wales.

I'd like to raise an issue in relation to this locally—in Tweed Heads, in my electorate. We've seen the economic vandalism on display with the Nationals plan to impose a large hospital at Cudgen, on state significant farmland—rich agricultural land. Thousands of local farmers and residents continue to rally against the proposed site, highlighting its unique value as high-yield agricultural land. At a time when we are feeling the impacts of climate change, at a time of extreme drought, we should be preserving our precious farmlands. But what do the National Party do? They destroy it. They just want to build on it. They want to sell it off and build on it. Make no mistake: the National Party are no friends of the farmers. These concerns about potential environmental impacts on this hospital site are also held by the Tweed Shire Council, who publicly expressed their opposition. Recently they moved a motion to refer the project to the federal Minister for the Environment for assessment under the EPBC Act, and I commend them for this action. Today I wrote to the Minister for the Environment requesting that she urgently refer the project for consideration under the EPBC Act.

Acting on climate change at all levels is vitally important, and it should be driven by a federal government. That's the reality. But the fact is that the Liberals and Nationals are anti renewables, anti climate science and anti any real policies that will bring down power prices or pollution. The only way to ensure that action on climate change is actually taken and is seriously taken is by electing a Labor government. We have a very strong track record on acting on climate change, and we understand the dire need to act. Australians deserve a Shorten Labor government that will take that action and reduce carbon pollution in line with our 45 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050. And of course Labor will invest in a renewable energy future which will indeed lower our power prices and secure clean jobs—and the focus should indeed be on lowering those power prices. That is what people are calling out for: action. We'll drive new investment in renewable energy generation and storage and we'll transform Australia's energy supply systems, delivering more renewables and cheaper power for all Australians. The time to act is now. It is very, very urgent, and the calls are being heard right across the country. We saw thousands of young people out there demanding some action. Well, it's only Labor that's listening and only a Shorten Labor government that will take action on climate change.

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