Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have sat here and listened to the members of the Greens political party in particular talk about the actions of this Albanese government. You would think that they're living in a complete fantasy land where none of the achievements we have delivered on taking climate action have happened at all. They never mention the 65 renewable energy projects that we've approved. They never mention the renewable energy targets that we've put in place. They never mention any of that. As the member for Canberra said, it's all for politics—just like with housing and just like economic matters, they play politics. We'll see how they go with that at the next election.

Today I welcome the opportunity from the member for Brisbane to talk about this particular matter of public importance. He wants to debate what action the government is taking to tackle the climate crisis, what action we're taking to reduce our emissions and what action we're taking to protect our environment. I welcome that debate, because it gives us the opportunity to talk about the things that the Greens don't. It gives us the opportunity to talk about what we were elected to do.

I was elected, in Bennelong of all places, because people in Bennelong and across the nation wanted their new government to take climate change seriously, and it's because we're all living through it now. This crisis isn't distant or abstract. It is here. It's impacting our communities, it's impacting our economy and it's impacting our very way of life. From bushfires to floods, Australians know the reality of climate change all too well. So, yes, people in Bennelong care deeply about the environment and they care deeply about climate action. They want their children to grow up in a world where our unique ecosystems are protected, where clean energy powers our homes and where we seize the opportunities of an emissions-free economy. Under this government we're delivering just that. From legislating emissions reductions targets to backing in renewable energy, we have hit the ground running. But make no mistake, there is still so much more to do. Let me be clear to this House and to people in Bennelong, I will not stop pushing this government for stronger climate action. We must continue to take action and we should go further, because the stakes couldn't be higher.

The science is clear: without action, global warming will exceed thresholds, leading to more frequent and severe disasters. The cost of inaction won't just be measured in emissions but in lost dollars, lost opportunities and a diminished future for our children. We know that it certainly won't be a Liberal government that will take this threat seriously.

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