Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday I joined Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, at SolarHub, which has installed solar panels for more than 10,000 Canberra families since it was founded a decade ago. Yet, while Australians are keen on renewables, the Morrison government has let us down. One-tenth of new vehicles in Britain are fully electric; in Australia, the figure is less than one in 100. Australia's grid isn't sufficiently joined up.

We've seen the Nationals tail wagging the Liberal dog. Senator Canavan wants homeowners to pay higher mortgages to support his climate denialism. The member for Hinkler wants a $250 billion fund—$25,000 for every household—to fund uneconomic fossil fuel projects. And yesterday we saw a Fight Club result in the National Party, signing up to net zero emissions by 2050—over the opposition of Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce. This will make the federal government the last government in Australia to support net zero.

At Glasgow, the conversation won't be about 2050. Most countries signed up to net zero years ago. Instead, they'll be talking about what countries will do by 2030 and the policies that will get them there. Other countries can't understand why Australia, the advanced country most affected by climate change, that has the highest emissions per person, refuses to take serious action on climate change.