Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

We have now entered the era of 'global boiling.' These words from the Secretary-General of the UN came in response to the hottest month ever recorded. Europe and Canada have experienced some of the worst forest fires ever, ocean temperatures off Florida have hit nearly 40 degrees Celsius, and Antarctic sea ice is not recovering fast enough this winter and may never fully recover, further accelerating climate change.

Denying climate change is ridiculous, but acknowledging climate change is real and not doing even the bare minimum to address it is negligence. This government is not taking climate change seriously. The Labor Party still takes millions in donations from the fossil fuel industry and is still approving new fossil fuel projects, including three new coalmines in the last two months. The government needs to know that inaction speaks louder than buzzwords.

The only way we are going to solve this crisis is if government steps up. That's what our communities expect us to do in this place. No more tinkering around the edges, pretending to take action. What we need is a ban on new fossil fuel projects. We need a clear transition plan for our communities as we move to a net-zero economy, and we need one hundred per cent publicly owned renewable energy. We aren't asking for much. We want a safe climate, not just for ourselves but for future generations as well.

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