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

Labor are utter climate frauds. Labor are utter environment frauds. We're debating these bills today, the Nature Positive (Environment Protection Australia) Bill 2024 and the associated bills, but do you know what the environment minister did last night? The environment minister, yesterday afternoon, approved 151 new coal and gas wells to go ahead, with fracking to occur, in a Gina Rinehart backed project, where the environmental impact statement said it's going to clear 530 hectares of koala dispersal habitat. The federal environment minister is bringing these laws to parliament, and yesterday Federal Environment Minister Plibersek approved a Gina Rinehart backed coal seam gas project in inland Queensland that will clear endangered koala habitat.

When you are in power, in government, you have the ability to stop new coal and gas projects. You have the ability under the law to stop the clearing of koala habitat. When you've got that power, in the middle of a climate crisis, you should use it. Even the government's own reports say that the biggest threat to our environment and our biodiversity is the climate crisis, and the biggest threat to koalas is this continued land clearing of their habitat. For them to have the gall to stand up here in this place and say, 'We're all about protecting the environment', less than 24 hours after the federal environment minister gave the green light to Gina Rinehart drilling 151 new coal seam gas wells that are going to clear koala habitat—it is absolutely galling. You've got the power, Labor, to tackle the climate crisis and to save our koalas, and what are you doing? Using your power to open up new coal and gas projects and clear koala habitat.

The environment minister approved the new Gina Rinehart coal seam gas project to run to the year 2080. Members from this place go back to their constituents and say to them: 'We care about the climate crisis. We care about your kids. Please vote Labor.' They are lions in their electorate when it comes to climate change but then they come to Canberra and back these new gas projects running to 2080. The government told us we would be at zero emissions by 2050 then they come and approve projects that run to the year 2080. What kind of planet are we going to have in 2080 if Labor keeps approving coal and gas projects? What kind of future are we going to have for our forests and koalas if Labor keeps approving Gina Rinehart wrecking and clearing koala habitat for projects that can run to 2080?

Do you know what, Deputy Speaker Vasta? When we came in here to move a motion this morning to say, 'No, Labor needs to overturn its decision,' not one Labor member crossed the floor to come and vote with us, not the member for Wills, not the member for Cooper, not the member for Richmond, not the member for Macnamara, not the member for Moreton. None of them, who say they care about the climate crisis, had the courage to do what Senator Payman did last night, which was cross the floor and vote for what is right.

Labor pretends to care, but the one thing you're given when you come to this place is a vote. You are given a vote. That's one thing every member of this parliament has that other people don't have. It's the reason people send you to Canberra. Labor come to this place, don't have the courage to cross the floor to say, 'No, don't open up a new gas project.' Why? Because they back it. Every single Labor MP in this place backs opening up new gas to run to 2080 and clearing koala habitat. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it is becoming harder and harder to tell Labor and Liberal apart when it comes to gas and coal. They both now back coal and gas in the system past 2050 up to 2080. The year 2080! You are saying gas mines can run until 2080. You are utter climate frauds, Labor.

Now, there are things that we could do in this place. We could pass laws to toughen up our environmental laws because they're broken. They're John Howard-era laws. Do you know what? Labor promised before the election that they were going to introduce new environment standards. They were going to bring forward legislation to toughen our environment laws and they haven't done it. They promised that they were going to bring in legislation, as the review suggested, that would lift the standards so that we would stop clearing koala habitat in this country, so that we would stop doing things that wreck our environment, and they have refused to do it.

Labor have gone out and held a press conference and said, 'Oh, we might get around to it before the election. In the meantime, we'll bring in legislation, not for a powerful cop on the beat but for an agency that doesn't have any teeth to enforce laws that John Howard put in place.' If you want any proof that these laws don't work and need toughening up, look at the fact that, under our laws, our environment minister has approved a Gina Rinehart gas project to run till 2080, and it's not the only one. Thirteen former coal and gas projects have been approved under this government—13!

We're talking about expansion of coal and gas mines, and Labor have the gall to tell us they care about climate and the environment. Well, the world's scientists and your own department are telling you one clear thing: the biggest threat to our beautiful environment, our biodiversity and the animals and plants it sustains is the climate crisis. Coal and gas are the leading causes of the climate crisis. In the middle of a climate emergency, there is no room for opening new coal and gas projects, absolutely none. The first step to tackling a problem is to stop making the problem worse. You can't put a fire out while you're pouring petrol on it. As we head towards summer, where there are threats of fires and droughts, as we head towards not only winters but expanding seasons where there are threats of floods, Labor now has responsibility for the devastation people are about to face because Labor is doing what it can to make the problem worse. Emissions are up under this government, and Labor keeps approving new coal and gas mines, even when they've got the power to stop it.

It is no wonder more and more people are saying it is getting harder and harder to tell Labor and Liberal apart when it comes to coal and gas. I thought we got rid of Scott Morrison. People voted for action on climate and the environment at the election. But they are not getting it. What they are getting are broken promises to fix our environment laws and more coal and gas mines approved by Labor.

For all of those Labor members who were interjecting, I hope that they get up and say it's not a good idea to open up new coal and gas mines. But, in fact, we heard the opposite earlier today. We heard Labor members saying, 'Yes, let's keep opening up new coal and gas mines.' If even one single Labor MP has the courage to come and cross the floor and vote against new coal and gas mines in the way that senators have shown they can, then I will applaud them. I'll be the first to applaud them. But so far not one single Labor MP has been prepared to come to this place and oppose the opening of new coal and gas mines. They have backed their government and their environment minister to the hilt in backing new coal and gas projects. For that, they're going to have to answer to the public and they're going to have to answer to their kids and their grandkids about why in the middle of a climate crisis every Labor MP keeps backing opening new coal and gas mines to run out to the year 2080.

This bill, the government's plan, won't save koalas. It won't stop native forest logging, and it won't stop the expansion of the coal and gas industry. In fact, the extinction crisis and global warming will continue to get worse. This is a broken promise that sells out our environment and the millions of Australians who want climate action. Instead, Labor has caved in to the coal and gas industry, who want faster and easier approvals for their polluting and damaging new coal and gas mines.

Two of the greatest threats to Australia's wildlife are habitat destruction and climate change. Under our existing laws, 740 fossil fuel projects have been approved and millions of hectares of critical habitat have been cleared. This is not environment protection; it's an environmental sellout to the big polluters. We are running out of time to save our planet, to save our precious environment, to save our koalas from the threat that they face. But Labor wants our environment and our wildlife to wait, refusing to bring in legislation to strengthen our environment laws. What we're seeing is that Labor is more concerned about appearing to do something than actually doing something. The system is broken in this country when coal and gas corporations who donate to Labor and Liberal are able to then keep getting their coal and gas mines approved and keep clearing our beautiful forests. If native forest logging is still permitted under Labor's laws, then the laws aren't good enough. If opening new coal and gas projects is still permitted under Labor's laws, then the new laws are not good enough.

We say to you in this parliament: when millions of people across the country vote for a change, let's deliver that change. Let's deliver that change. Let's pass laws that stop new coal and gas projects. Let's pass laws that stop native forest logging. Let's pass laws that protect our environment and our koalas. But Labor is refusing to do that. Actions speak louder than words. Actions speak louder than words. On this very day that we're debating it, it's less than 24 hours after environment minister Plibersek approved a new massive coal-seam gas project with 151 new gas wells because Gina Rinehart asked for it. That is what this Labor government is doing with its actions.

People across this country want our environment protected, and they are increasingly seeing through this government. They are seeing through this government that says, 'We care about housing,' and then comes to this place and gives billions in handouts to wealthy property investors that push up the price of housing out of the reach of renters and deny millions of renters the chance to buy their own home. They hear this government say, 'We really want to take action to reduce inequality,' and then the government come into this parliament and give every politician and billionaire a $4½ thousand a year tax cut while leaving millions of people living in poverty. This government say, 'We are concerned about the cost-of-living crisis,' and then they come in here and say that there are billions of dollars for handouts to coal and gas corporations but not enough to fund a rent freeze or make child care free or to put dental into Medicare. They come in here and say, 'We've got an environment law for you, and under this law all of John Howard's and Tony Abbott's bad legislation remains, as far as protecting our environment is concerned,' and then the minister goes out the back after the debate is over and signs off on the clearing of koala habitat and the opening of new coal seam gas wells—because Gina Rinehart asked for it.

People are seeing through this government. People know that we are facing some big crises in this country—a housing crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, a climate crisis, and an environment and extinction crisis. There was hope when we had a change of government that Labor would work across the parliament to pass laws that actually tackle the crisis. Instead, we are seeing these bandaid answers that are more about getting a headline than actually fixing the deep problems that this country is facing. Labor keeps taking the public for mugs, thinking, 'If we just pass a bill that has "environment" scrawled on the front of it in crayon, people will give us a tick.' Well, no. Under this law, it will still allow coal and gas mines to be opened. It will still mean the minister can keep approving the clearing of native forest and koala habitat. It will still mean that environmental destruction will proceed apace. That is why this bill should be so much better and why people are getting angrier, and we are going to keep holding this government to account for its broken promises and its failure to tackle the crises that this country is facing.

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