Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. In its latest report on environmental indicators, the OECD last year confirmed Australia's place as the largest per capita producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the OECD. Yet in an interview on the BBC in the last couple of weeks, the Treasurer described such an assertion as 'absolutely ridiculous' and a 'falsehood'. Minister, who is right—the OECD or the Treasurer?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me say to my good friend the member for Port Adelaide: congratulations and happy birthday. There have been 600 questions from the Labor opposition and this is their first one on the environment. He gets to take the green jacket off—the last one on the Labor frontbench to take the green jacket off. Obviously he has been talking to the Leader of the Opposition—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs has been warned. Once more and he will leave.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and begging the Leader of the Opposition, and today he breaks his dust. I had been a little bit worried for him. I felt like giving him a hug at different times. It was one of those moments where you thought to yourself, 'Is this the Norwegian blue?'

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat.

Opposition members interjecting—

The minister will resume his seat.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He didn't realise he was a minister.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, the answer is stretching the definition of direct relevance to the absolute limit. He is a long way from the OECD comments.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has the call and will draw his attention to the question.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When it comes to the member for Port Adelaide, I am delighted—not dead, only sleeping. A year, a month and a week after the election, he gets his first question. So let me address it directly. But I will say: of all the people in the world to talk about environment policies—pink batts, green loans, cash for clunkers, a citizens assembly and a carbon tax they want to bring back.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, get over it!

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, given the ruling that you made, I am drawing your attention to standing order 91(e).

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has the call. I have asked him to return to the question, and I would like him to do so.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In terms of the Treasurer, how badly was he misrepresented not just in terms of the interview but also from the member for Port Adelaide right now? There was no reference to per capita in the interview at the time. The question was about Australia, and what he was saying in terms of Australia was that, as one of the countries of the world, we represent 1.4 per cent of global emissions. What we see in representing that 1.4 per cent is that the United States, Germany, Japan and Canada—all countries in the OECD—have very significant emissions. Unlike many other countries, we are meeting our targets. We are actually achieving our targets. You may note that, of those that I mentioned, some of them are not. But you hear absolute silence from our friends on the other side, because the Treasurer's point is that, of the countries in the world that committed and signed up to targets, we met them. We didn't just meet them; we exceeded them. We passed them by 120 million tonnes and rising. We achieved our targets.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Moreton: one more and he will leave.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we see here is that Australia is doing its bit. More than that, you had a carbon tax that saw emissions go up –not down. So it did not just hurt families; it failed the environment. We got rid of the carbon tax. You want to keep it.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order other than relevance?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I would ask you to ask the minister to direct his comments through the chair.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will direct his remarks through the chair.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer was right: we are taking real steps to clean up our environment. Australia should be proud of where we are heading, not ashamed. We got rid of the carbon tax; you will bring it back. We are for lower electricity prices and you are for higher.