House debates
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Questions without Notice
Climate Change
2:13 pm
Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the global challenge of climate change and the need for leadership on significant national issues?
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The government, in dealing with the global challenges we face on the economy, on climate change and on other matters, has been active in prosecuting an activist agenda. Yesterday, I briefed the House on the implementation of the Building the Education Revolution program, visiting a school in Wanniassa here in Canberra and looking firsthand at what was happening with the building of new classrooms and the extension of the library to benefit an independent Christian school with a school population of about 1,100 or 1,200 young Australians. This is something of which this side of the House is proud. We are engaged with the real challenge which Australian families are facing right now, which is, ‘How do we ensure that we have the best education facilities for our children for the future?’
One of the other challenges for the future, of course, is climate change, and I would draw the attention of honourable members in the House to the Climate change: global risks, challenges and decisions report, which was released last week. This is a significant document. This was the most significant update of climate science since the 2007 UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. This report underscores the urgency for action on climate change and it says:
The newest evidence indicates that society faces serious risks even with a global temperature rise of only about 2 degrees. If society wants to minimize these risks, then action must be taken now.
Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Dr Jensen interjecting
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I beg your pardon?
Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Temperatures have dropped.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The interjection from the honourable member is that temperatures have dropped. There we have the climate change sceptics, represented by those opposite, again pointing to the absolute collapse in the authority of the Leader of the Opposition. We are engaged here in a debate about how you bring down greenhouse gas emissions and how you actually do that in a balanced way to support the economy. That is what we have incorporated in the principles of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. On the most basic science which causes us to act in this direction, we have an interjection from this extraordinary member of the opposition today—extraordinary in terms of, can I say, departure from any form of scientific fact. It is right up there with those members who want to put shadecloth in space or over the roof.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
So undermined has the authority of the Leader of the Opposition become that, even in a debate on this matter today when the CPRS is before the Senate, we have an interjection from Liberal members opposite saying temperatures have gone down. Where is the basic consensus on the part of those opposite that we have a problem to deal with? They are still saying, as of 2009, there is not a problem. Does this not explain why for 12 years they failed to do anything? I return to the content—
Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Ian Macfarlane interjecting
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Oh, another interjection, from the member for Groom!
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! Members will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister will ignore the interjections.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The interjection from the member for Groom, an old mate of mine from Queensland, was that they did act on climate change: they spent $3 million. Or did he say billion? I correct what I said; I did not quite hear him. I would draw the House’s attention to this fact: in 12 years in office did they ever ratify the Kyoto protocol?
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Did they ever develop an emissions trading scheme?
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Did they ever legislate an emissions trading scheme?
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Did they ever increase the renewable energy target?
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Did they ever do anything of substance on climate change at all?
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
That is the record of the Liberal Party—oh, and the National Party.
Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Robb interjecting
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Another climate change sceptic, the member for Goldstein, interjects. He is the leader of—what group on this? He seems to be flipping and flopping a bit. Is he with the climate change sceptics sitting on the fence or perhaps he is harbouring some form of leadership aspiration himself? You have to keep all camps in this debate under control.
Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Dr Jensen interjecting
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I draw honourable members’ attention to the content of this important new report—and again for the benefit of the honourable member up the back, who seems to dispute the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientists—which says as follows:
The newest evidence indicates that society faces serious risks even with a global temperature rise of only about 2 degrees. If society wants to minimize these risks, then action must be taken now.
The chair of the committee, Professor Richardson, said:
Society has all the tools necessary to respond to climate change.
And most poignantly, Professor Richardson—
Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Dr Jensen interjecting
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I find it remarkable that in this day and age they can still be disputing the basic science as to why we must act on climate change. What has happened to the authority of the Leader of the Opposition that, in a debate like this, there is simply open slather to those behind him to interject that it is all nonsense, that climate change is not a problem and that there should be no policy response. Most poignantly, Professor Richardson concludes her report by saying:
The major ingredient missing is political will.
Have we seen that in spades in terms of the participation by those opposite in this debate this morning? The business community in Australia is calling for action. The BCA said last week:
The Liberal and National parties have never been totally clear with us about what their position was, and it’s still not clear to us …
Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. As this answer has now been going for six minutes, shouldn’t the Prime Minister be asked to make a ministerial statement?
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member for Warringah will resume his seat. Before calling the Prime Minister, again, I am not in the position of making critical analysis of questions and answers, but I will make this observation: the Prime Minister has been responding to the question and the question probably could have been answered quicker if there had been fewer interjections.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, is it any wonder that the acting Manager of Opposition Business is jumping up so much, because I understand around the corridors he is whispering of leadership aspirations still. In fact on 16 June—I think Tony likes this bit—the member said as follows:
INTERVIEWER: And do you still have leadership aspirations down the track?
TONY ABBOTT: Oh, down the track but a long, long way down the track.
That is what I call a definitive response in politics.
Pat Farmer (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I ask you to bring the Prime Minister back to the question and the answer to that question. He has strayed dramatically.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The member for Macarthur will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is responding to the question.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and I thank very much the member for Mosman for his interjection given that, I understand, that is currently his place of abode.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The Prime Minister will refer to members by their parliamentary titles.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The member for the other part of Sydney he apparently seeks to represent in this place. That is fine, Mr Speaker. The business community—
Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. If I may say so, what the Prime Minister is saying is uncalled for.
Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
He is lowering the tone and he should be asked to apologise.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The member for Warringah will resume his seat. The Prime Minister will refer to members by their parliamentary titles.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and I take the interjection from the acting Manager of Opposition Business, representing the interests of his constituent, who has just provided the intervention referred to.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Well, it is good to see honourable members doing their work.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Order! The Prime Minister will respond to the question.
Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The chairman of Xstrata, Mr Peter Coates, said the following in terms of climate change and the policy of those opposite. He said the coalition was:
… perceived to have no position on the ETS other than putting it off until next year …
So said Peter Coates, chairman of Xstrata, on 19 June. What you have is the business community alert to what is occurring—that is, those opposite are so disunited on climate change that their one unifying call is this: whatever we do in the Senate, let’s all agree on putting off the vote for as long as possible, because having such a vote will expose the absolute depths of the divisions which exist within our ranks.
Again this comes back to the state of the leadership which exists within the opposition today. Australia wants business certainty and regulatory certainty on the future of climate change. What is impeding that? A failure of leadership on the part of the Leader of the Opposition to bring about unity on his side on which way they will vote. If they simply want to vote against it, have the vote—conduct it—we would at least know where they stand. But to have no vote at all is the ultimate demonstration of political cowardice, the ultimate demonstration of a lack of political ticker, the ultimate demonstration of a failure of leadership. We know why that is the case: because this leader’s authority within his own ranks has collapsed, as has his credibility and integrity in the eyes of the Australian people.