Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very glad to be able to speak on the motion tabled by the member for Warringah and speak to the hard work that this government is doing to take climate action and our commitment to ensuring that future generations of young people have opportunities for work and to succeed in the economy.

The Morrison government knows the heavy impacts that this country has felt as a consequence of the bushfires and COVID, which is why we have made record investments in the recovery efforts. The government has been dedicated to action on climate change and waste reduction. Under the leadership of Minister Sussan Ley and the Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, the federal government has invested millions of dollars in improving our environmental practice and, in doing so, creating jobs for our future.

I would particularly like to point out the significant efforts that have been made by the federal government in the recycling and waste reduction space. These investments have been truly transformative for our environment in encouraging more responsible waste management and facilitating industry to be more innovative in creating new technologies to solve the issue of waste. This government is leading the charge when it comes to innovative and creative solutions for waste reduction and, in doing so, we are limiting the amount of waste that is getting into our environment and landfills and we are stimulating the future employment of our young Australians who are looking for work.

By partnering with industry, this government is helping businesses to get on with their day-to-day activities but in an environmentally friendly way. We have worked with industry so that they can lead the way in finding innovative solutions themselves in their own industries to modern problems and providing reasonable and responsible time frames for this change to occur. By 2024, non-processed waste product will no longer be exported overseas. We have taken responsibility for our own problems and found a way for Australians and our environment to benefit in the process. It has been through working with private enterprise in a collaborative manner, rather than slogging industry with heavy-handed taxes, that we have found the most effective solution when it comes to tackling and improving our environmental management. The Morrison government is committed to finding solutions like these that improve our environment and lower emissions through new technology, not new taxes.

But that isn't all—we are investing in sustainability and we are serious about doing it. The Morrison government has, in this budget alone, the 2020 budget, invested $674 million into oceans and marine ecosystems; $319 million into parks and heritage areas; improved research and development in the Great Barrier Reef and the Antarctic; and waived the environmental management charge for tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef to continue to support our eco-tourism industry and to showcase this beautiful environmental wonder to the world.

These investments are just a few of our commitments to take action on climate change and improve sustainability in Australia. We have targets which are in line with the Paris agreement and we are set to beat those targets. Australia beat our targets for Kyoto and we will beat our targets for Paris. We have a plan to invest in technology that will allow us to meet and beat our targets that we have set in the Paris agreement—and, unlike the Labor Party, we are doing it all in a way that doesn't cost Australians an enormous number of jobs or impose on them taxes that simply can't be quantified.

This government knows that in the COVID-19 recession this country is facing the greatest economic challenge it has seen since the end of the war. We are also aware of the importance of continuing our work to protect our local environment and Australia's environment. Only the coalition can be trusted to be responsible stewards of our economy, and it's only through responsible economic management that we can meet our international targets and continue to protect our economy and our environment. Only the coalition has responsible plans for Australia to meet its international targets without destroying jobs that we so desperately need to retain as we get out the other side of the COVID recession. We are taking climate action to ensure that Australia reduces its emissions, and we will protect our economy at the same time.

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