Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The government believes in and is taking action to address climate change. The government should and the government is. By 2020, which is when the Kyoto targets were set for by the Labor Party when they were in government, we will meet those targets. And we won't just meet them; we'll beat them by 367 million tonnes. The Australian government is in that group of countries which are beating—beating—the commitments that we made to the world and we will continue to do that with the commitments we have retained for the Paris targets. So Australia is doing its bit when it comes to dealing with climate change.

What we the government won't do is engage in the reckless targets supported by the Greens and the Labor Party under this false and, I think, dishonest promise that the member has been spruiking both in this place and outside of this place—that is, to suggest that there is some trade-off, that if the government had adopted economy-wrecking, as the Business Council described them, emissions reduction cuts that were put forward by the Labor party at the last election then these fires would not have taken place. That is an outright lie, it is an untruth and it is grievously misleading for some of those going through the most difficult times of their lives. We will not do that. Our government know about the need to take action on climate change and our record demonstrates we are meeting and beating our commitments. What we won't do is engage in the reckless targets that have been put forward by the Greens—and happily along with the Labor Party—which will take people's jobs and we will not support those reckless targets.

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