Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens support this move from the member for Warringah. The Greens oppose PEP-11. We're in a climate crisis. Everyone—from the United Nations to Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and the conservative International Energy Agency—has said there is no room for new coal, oil and gas projects. On climate grounds alone we should stop the expansion of new fossil fuel projects because we're going to end up with stranded infrastructure when the rest of the world shifts to a zero-pollution economy. As has been pointed out by our New South Wales senator, Mehreen Faruqi, who has worked side by side with the very strong community, which is speaking very loudly, we are going to damage some of the most pristine and valuable area of our coast. Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, our spokesperson for healthy oceans who has also been part of this campaign, has made the point that the damage that is going to be done to oceans is significant, not just from the drilling but also from the seismic testing. We've seen that in areas around Tasmania. So if we're concerned about our climate, about our oceans and about all the people whose livelihood is dependent on healthy oceans and a beautiful coastline, then we must stop PEP-11.

The government should support this. There's no reason for the government to oppose this. Politicians giving weasel words, saying, 'Oh, we're going to stop it,' but then not actually stopping it is part of the reason that communities have so much distrust in politics in the first place. The government comes here and says this is a community issue—well, the community has spoken loud and clear and said, 'Stop PEP-11.' I say to all those Liberal MPs who are saying, 'Don't proceed with action in parliament because it's a community issue,' that the community have spoken. They're after the government to do something very simple, that the government can do and that is within its power to do, which is to say it is not going to proceed and it is going to make that law, make it legally binding. Until the government does, people are right to be suspicious. People are right to say, 'Why do the Prime Minister and the local member say one thing but then refuse to put it into law?'

If the government is not going to do it, then the parliament should. That's why we support the member for Warringah's suspension motion today. It is putting into law what the community is asking. I hope that the government supports this today. The Greens will be proceeding with our bill in the Senate to stop offshore oil and gas drilling because that is what we need to do. I welcome the broad range of support for this motion today, and I hope it translates into other areas, like stopping the fracking of the Beetaloo and stopping new coal, oil and gas projects elsewhere. That would be only logical. But right here, today, the Greens throw our support behind this move. We will continue to fight side by side with the community. Now the government has the chance to not just have the odd member say something or even have the odd member cross the floor. It has the chance to stop PEP-11. And if the government are not going to do it, the parliament should make them.

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