Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

And that was the minister ‘for’ the environment! The minister says that you can work out on the back of an envelope the amount of greenhouse gas that any coalmine in Australia is going to produce—whether or not it is exported overseas. But then he says he is opposed to a trigger. He argues himself into a corner. If it is such a simple matter to do an assessment of the greenhouse gas impact of coalmines—or thermal power stations or any other entity—then why not do it? One can only be left with the glaringly obvious conclusion that this minister for the environment does not want an assessment of how much greenhouse gas his action and his dereliction of duty will lead to in an age where climate change, as Senator Milne says, is at a tipping point.

If it is so easy to assess the greenhouse gas production from any coalmine—whether or not the coal is exported—why not do it? That is plain, clear information. The answer is that the minister would then have to act on that information. At the moment, he can fail to act in defence of the environment—as he so often does—whether it be the global environment or the environment of this great country of ours.

What is the minister’s assessment of reports that climate change is leading to the unhinging of the Ross icesheet in Antarctica and that, in coming years, this could rapidly lead to a sea level rise of between five and 17 metres around the world? Does the minister give any credence to these scientific reports coming from New Zealand? Which of the measurements—five metres or 17 metres—is true, or does the minister have some other assessment? What is the minister’s action plan for this nation in the event of that catastrophe? As the scientists are linking this to greenhouse gas production, does the minister not think it reasonable that we measure greenhouse gas production and expect action to prevent it so that such catastrophes can, in turn, be prevented down the line?