Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to get up and talk about this particular topic, because this issue is urgent not just for our nation but for the world. When I hear the member for Lyne say that we want to take people back to the Dark Ages, I have to tell you that we will be in the Dark Ages unless we take action very soon to protect this Earth from the drastic changes that are taking place in our climate. This government's inaction is not just embarrassing but dangerous to this world and to our environment. We've seen this government change their prime ministers, spouting a need for new direction, but in reality there has been no new direction. The Prime Minister, just like all the previous Liberal prime ministers, has failed Australians. The Liberals continue to fail Australians every single day they refuse to not only accept but also act upon the overwhelming science that tells us that this planet is dying and that we are killing this planet. I heard members opposite say that we need sustainable and affordable energy, that we need to continue down a slow and 'take it easy' path and that we need to keep on using coal.

I've got to say that, in the 5½ years that this government has been in power, we've seen energy prices rise 70 per cent and we've seen no clear policy on renewables and energy—absolutely none. If you were an investor in renewables, why on earth would you invest in Australia when you have a government that is divided on this topic and you have people who don't believe in climate change and believe that we should continue burning coal? What we need is more renewables. We need to set targets—and we have a target that will create jobs and investment in renewables instead of having some of our best brains in renewables go overseas.

The Prime Minister and this government need to get with the program. They have to stop being dinosaurs from the last century and take real steps to reduce Australia's carbon emissions and to invest in renewable energy. Many have quoted David Attenborough, who has a seat at the two-week UN climate conference being held in Poland. He said to the leaders of this world:

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

The people in this place are leaders. They have a duty to this world and the next generation not of Australians but of the human race. I for one do not want to have my grandchildren and great-grandchildren say that I was here in this place and did nothing about the terrible state of the world. We as leaders in this place have an absolute duty to either leave this place in a better condition or try to maintain it, and that is not happening with this government.

The Prime Minister walked in here with a hunk of coal and was so proud of it. That is a disgrace in today's world where we have all the science about climate change, about how it's destroying the world and about how we have to go towards renewables. We had the Prime Minister, when he was the Treasurer, come in with a hunk of coal and be so proud. As an MP and an Australian I'm absolutely embarrassed by that and that that is the message we're sending to our nation and the rest of the world.

Children were protesting last week about climate change, the world and the environment, but they were really protesting about leadership. They want leadership on this issue and investment in renewables because they want a future. It is their future. It's not the Prime Minister's future or ours. Our generation won't be here in a few more years. It's the future of those children and their kids, so they have every right to protest and say to the government and the people responsible, 'What are you doing about fixing the planet and the terrible climate change that is taking place that will destroy the earth in years to come?'

As I said, we've been bestowed the honour to be in this parliament. We have been given the opportunity and privilege, which so few have, to leave this place in a better condition than we found it. I'm ashamed of being in pretty much the only advanced economy where greenhouse gases are rising rather than coming down. What we're seeing is absolutely terrible. We need to act on it now. I know that a Bill Shorten Labor government will take real action on climate change and reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent.

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