Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Melbourne. We are in a climate emergency. The motion that the member for Melbourne put on the Notice Paper is obviously a further motion to those a number of people, including the member for Hindmarsh, have attempted to put forward in this place. The member for Hindmarsh put forward a motion last year that, of course, didn't make it to the floor of the House of Representatives for debate, because those on that side of the House are afraid of what that debate would look like. That side of the House is full of people, like the member for Hughes, who are climate change deniers. I'm sure that when the member for Hughes gets up here and has his five minutes of glory, we will hear and see the true colours of those opposite.

We are in a climate emergency. Before I touch on some of the contributions in this debate from members of the government, I reiterate the commitment made by the Australian Labor Party of net zero emissions by 2050 as part of our efforts to tackle climate change. This is not controversial, this is not extreme; this is in line with the science. It is in line with the recommendations of the IPCC and in line with the commitments made by Germany, by France, by Sweden, by New Zealand, by Denmark—by 70 other countries around the world. It is in line with the commitments being made by all of the states and territories in Australia, including those being governed by Liberal governments. I know this might be an inconvenient truth for the dinosaurs in the opposite party—

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