Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Today I met with the youth climate delegation in parliament, who are calling on the government to adopt a duty of care act, such as that proposed by Senator David Pocock through the Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill 2023. Prime Minister, do you accept there is a need for such a bill, to ensure governments have a legislated duty to consider the impacts of any decisions they make that could harm the climate, health and wellbeing of future generations?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for North Sydney for her question and for her genuine care about the issue of climate change and her understanding that it not only represents a challenge; it also represents an opportunity.

Of course, governments do legislation. That's why I'm a member of a political party that seeks to form government. What we have done, as a government, is to legislate for a 43 per cent reduction by 2030 and for net zero by 2050—something which we had a mandate to do. Something we have also done is to legislate for our safeguard mechanism, in order to drive that change through the economy. We do that not just because of what needs to be done today, but because we understand that there is an intergenerational equity issue behind the issue of climate change, just as there's an issue across developing countries, who feel as though they haven't been the ones that have created it, through the industrial revolution and since, in the first world—in the north, if you like.

It is the south that has to pay, in many cases, for the costs of rising sea levels in places like Tuvalu. That is why we entered into the agreement that we did, after we were approached by Prime Minister Natano from Tuvalu to enter into the first-ever comprehensive agreement to provide security for people who are worried about the very existence of their island nations. That was a growing theme at the climate conference. I understand, as well, that young people, in particular, want—not just themselves, but their kids and grandkids—to be able to see the Great Barrier Reef, to be able to see Kakadu—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. The Prime Minister will pause. The member for North Sydney, on a point of order?

Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the point of order is on relevance. I really appreciate the Prime Minister taking us through the legislative changes that they've made to date, but the question is: do you accept that there is a need for a bill to hold governments to a duty of care for the decisions they make and the impact those decisions have on future generations?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will get the Prime Minister to conclude his answer.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I tend not to focus on senators' private members' bills, because what we're focused on is government legislation to drive that change through the economy. I certainly understand, as I've been saying very clearly, that, in everything this government does in relation to climate change, we're focused not just on today; we're focused on tomorrow. We're focused on what sort of economy we have. We're focused on the opportunity for young people. I want my grandkids—I hope they don't come along for a long period of time; I must make that point in case Nathan is listening!—to be able to see the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park and all the wonderful pristine things which are there. I also want to ensure that there are good jobs, and good jobs will come with a clean energy economy.