Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister confirm that in the three years between 2002 and 2005 the government spent a total of $311 million on climate change related programs? Is the minister aware that, of this $300 million, two-thirds, or $200 million, was spent on administration expenses, with just $100 million spent on actual climate change programs? Doesn’t this equate to just $36 million a year in funding to tackle the dangerous threat of climate change? Can the minister now explain why the government spends $2 administering every $1 it spends on climate change programs? Don’t the government’s own budget figures confirm that it is not serious about tackling climate change?