Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Last summer, as the Leader for the Opposition pointed out in his kick-off of this MPI, the Deputy Prime Minister shouted at the clouds, 'I don't want the government in my life!' Well, as we say in the Hunter: 'Mate, you are the government! Seriously! And governments are elected to make laws. It's called legislating.'

Now, back here on Earth, out of the clouds, a road to Damascus experience is one in which a person has a sudden insight that radically changes their belief. You refer to it as the road to Damascus—he's gotten it. Well, we've seen firsthand from those opposite this week, before our eyes, on the road to Glasgow, they've had an epiphany! They've seen the light! They've heard the voice! They realise that they do need to get to net zero by 2050, but they're refusing to legislate for it They do need a plan for the future, but their plan is a sham. How can any worker in this country really trust this government? Workers who will be most impacted by these decisions have been left in the dark, with no real consideration and absolutely no input. We've seen this past fortnight that those opposite couldn't even agree with each other as to whether net zero was a priority for the nation or not.

For many years now, the energy industry and all Australian industries have gone it alone. They've progressed with their plans towards net zero in the absence of any leadership from this Prime Minister or, quite frankly, his puerile predecessors. Outside of the bizarre world of the coalition, climate action and the transformation of our economy through its transition to renewables have moved way beyond ideology. Globally, we've seen broad support from unions, resource companies and world leaders—Boris Johnson even. Locally, we've seen support from the Business Council of Australia, the National Farmers Federation—for goodness sake—state governments, local governments, churches and community groups. At every level we have seen this call to action, but this Prime Minister is truly still trying to play catch-up.

The blunt reality is that we have no legislated target for 2050. That's it. So nothing holds us to this target. All the benefits this Prime Minister is banking on to hit our 2030 target are based on what the states and territories and Australians themselves have already done. He's cashing in on your hard work and again claiming the credit for something he has actually had nothing to do with. He doesn't hold a hose, and he certainly hasn't helped you put your solar panels on your roofs. In term after term, under leader after leader, we have had neglect from those opposite. They don't appreciate Australian industry, and they don't respect Australian workers.

As many in this place know, I have never shied away from being on the side of coalminers and coal industry workers, and I will always proudly stand up in this place and outside it for them and the industries that they represent. I proudly care about my community, and I'm not afraid to call the government out for failing to look after them. For years I've been on the ground talking to miners and to the industries that depend on mining and making sure they have a role in these vital decisions about our future and about their future. My colleague the member for Brand has been on the ground talking to the industry, and she knows what workers want too. She knows what industry needs, and it's certainly not being delivered under this mob.

Labor will legislate to ensure transformation does not leave Australian workers behind. That's a commitment this Prime Minister cannot make, and he will not make it even in the eleventh hour on his road to Glasgow. I say to the mining families of the Hunter: I want you to know what this means for you. This government is not backing you in. All you have seen from this government is denial, outright lies and bickering. How can any worker trust this Morrison government in the absence of any transparency or any consistent legislated plan? Let me say to you: do not trust them with your vote and do not trust them with your future.

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