Sally Sitou (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank all the members who have spoken on this really important matter: acting on climate change. I thank all the members from the Albanese Labor government who have spoken and I thank all the members from the Greens and the Independents, because this is a really important topic. I do note that there were no members from the coalition who wanted to speak on this, and I absolutely understand because if I were in their position I would not be wanting to talk about my record on this policy. After a decade of inaction, I would be avoiding talking about climate change for as long as possible.

I welcome this discussion because it is a reminder for us all of why we are in this place. Like many of the speakers before me, I care deeply about our environment, I care deeply about addressing climate change, I care deeply about making our world more sustainable and I care deeply about moving towards a low-carbon future. We've all got a purpose in this place. We are all here for a reason. For me, that purpose and reason is climate. Over the last decade, my frustration grew and grew because of the inaction I saw from those opposite. The coalition did nothing to address climate change. They refused to acknowledge that it was an issue. But I want to do everything that I can as part of the Albanese Labor government to make sure that we are protecting the environment and addressing climate change. I want to be able to say to my son and his generation, and future generations to come, that this is a government that takes acting on climate change and protecting our environment seriously.

One of the first acts that we did as a government was legislate to reduce our emissions target by 43 per cent by 2030, and to a net zero emissions target by 2050. That's how seriously we take climate change: it's one of the first bills we passed when we came into parliament. But we are not just about setting targets; we are about taking action. That's the difference between this government and the Greens and the Independents. We are about governing and taking action, not protesting and virtue-signalling. We have introduced key policies that will help us reduce emissions and help us make that target a reality. We have reformed the safeguard mechanism, a measure that will reduce emissions from the heaviest emitters while allowing businesses to remain competitive as the world decarbonises. I'm glad to see that those on the crossbench did, in the end, support the safeguard mechanism.

We have set a target to reach 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030. But, again, this is a government that is not just about setting targets but is about taking action. We have doubled the number of approved renewable energy projects. A record number of projects are in the pipeline to deliver cheaper, cleaner and greener energy for Australian households. We have set up the National Reconstruction Fund, which will fund projects that will help decarbonise our economy. We have set a goal of protecting at least 30 per cent of our land and oceans by 2030. Again, this is a government taking action, not just setting targets.

Under Labor, Australia's environmental policies have fundamentally changed for the better, and there is no better example of that than the Great Barrier Reef. UNESCO says that Labor's approach compared to the former coalition government is 'like night and day'. Just over a year ago, the reef was on the verge of being listed as 'in danger' because of the denial and inaction on climate change and the environment by those opposite when they were in government. Now, UNESCO has released a draft decision to not list the Great Barrier Reef as in danger.

I urge the Greens and Independents to take note and act because we won't reduce emissions on the back of a wishful hope. We won't protect our environment with a press conference. We won't be able to create a new, clean renewable energy industry with a protest rally. For the sake of future generations, I urge everyone in this place to get behind the actions of the Albanese Labor government to address climate change, because you cannot govern with good intentions and confected outrage. You govern by working with everyone, including industry, community groups and environmental groups, because that's how you deliver real and lasting reform.

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