Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change. Now that the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme has passed the House what barriers remain to Australia taking action on climate change?

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Isaacs for his question. The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is the centrepiece of the government’s measures to tackle the threat of climate change. The greatest barrier to the passage of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is the disunity of the opposition. It is clear, of course, and has been for some time that the coalition is clearly split, with the Nationals having gone off on their own course of action. The Liberal and National parties are fundamentally divided over the issue of climate change.

Senator Joyce is spearheading the campaign against the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme even to the detriment of rural communities. The government announced over the weekend that we would agree to exclude agricultural emissions from the operation of the CPRS indefinitely as part of a package negotiated with the opposition. In addition to that, the government indicated that we would consider a range of ways in which the agriculture sector could reduce its emissions, including by it being able to generate offsetting credits. It is a significant step that would allow farmers the incentive to sequester carbon. The NFF, the National Farmers Federation, and other farming groups have welcomed that move. What has Senator Joyce got to say about this issue? When asked on Four Corners, Senator Joyce, the Leader of the National Party in the Senate, had this to say to that question.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. To remain relevant, you must also remain truthful. They voted against such an amendment yesterday in this House.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. That was not a point of order, and she is warned.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Joyce was asked on Four Corners: ‘Do you want carbon offsets for the farming community?’ Senator Joyce’s reply was: ‘No. And I want a little red car for Christmas and, if I can, I will take cupid wings and fly around the room.’ That is the Leader of the National Party in the Senate. It is not a wonder he is doing the chicken dance if that is what he is endeavouring to do. Senator Joyce has taken his party far beyond the edge of relevance and credibility in this debate.

But the problem is not just the National Party. The Liberals appear to have fallen into two camps on this particular issue. The first camp, led by the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Groom, are obviously supporting negotiations with the government. We are wondering whether the member for Mackellar might be one of the 10 people in the Liberal party room today who, we understand, did not support that position.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn’t!

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just say something nasty about me.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Uncle Wilson has come to the wedding. That is the first camp. The second camp is the one populated by the climate change sceptics. No lesser political figure than the Leader of the Liberal Party in the Senate, Senator Minchin, sees the global efforts to combat climate change as some form of international left-wing conspiracy—a new communist front. This is what he had to say on the Four Corners show:

For the extreme left it provides the opportunity to do what they’ve always wanted to do, to sort of de-industrialise the western world. You know the collapse of communism was a disaster for the left, and the, and really they embraced environmentalism as their new religion.

This is the leader of the Liberal Party in the Senate carrying on about a communist conspiracy that is the basis for taking action against climate change. This puts all the major world leadership, including other political figures and including the Leader of the Opposition, in a communist conspiracy. That is what climate change is all about, according to Senator Minchin.

But we have the other side of the spectrum represented in the Liberal Party as well. The member for Hume had a different take on this issue in his second reading contribution on the bills. Instead, he suggested that climate change science is the modern equivalent of Nazi science. This is what he had to say:

The climate change debate is not new. On 4 June 1940, Sir Winston Churchill warned of the perverted science of national socialist ideology when he uttered the words:

… the whole world—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister had the opportunity on the second reading and third reading of the bills to sum up the debate. It is not necessary for him to do it again in question time the next day. He has passed his four minutes.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is the same speech he gave yesterday.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply say to the Manager of Opposition Business: if he really wants me to take the point of order seriously, I wish he would resume his seat and await a response. Whether he believes that he has been provoked or not, entering into a discussion is not very helpful. The question was in order and the minister is responding to the question.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is what the member for Hume had to say:

The climate change debate is not new. On 4 June 1940, Sir Winston Churchill warned of the perverted science of national socialist ideology when he uttered the words:

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know you do not like hearing it, but you are going to hear it. This is what he quoted of Sir Winston Churchill:

… the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

The member for Hume then went on to say:

That is just as applicable today to the perverted science of global warming.

That is unbelievable. That is a completely incredible contribution. For political figures with the responsibility of people such as the member for Hume and the Leader of the Liberal Party in the Senate, Senator Minchin, to engage in such bizarre, ridiculous and absurd nonsense is extremely irresponsible, given the threat that this country faces. No modern political party can be held captive by climate change sceptics and hope to retain credibility.

The Prime Minister made the point earlier that the member for Groom had indicated some optimism that a potential agreement with the government may obtain support in the Liberal party room. We hope that is the case. We continue to approach these negotiations in good faith. We will endeavour to secure an agreement and we are hopeful that it will obtain support in the Liberal party room because it is important to this country’s national interest to tackle the threat of climate change. The sceptics and the extremists need to be cast to the edge.