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

The fact is, it was your party—through you, Chair—that stymied local government getting recognition in that referendum, full stop.

On the matter of the Kyoto protocol, which is the subject of this amendment whereby the Greens would offer the Australian people a yes or no on whether our nation should join the rest of the community of nations, save President Bush, in ratifying the Kyoto protocol, the amendment is not about local governments doing that, because that would have no effect; it is about the federal government doing that, because it would have very great moral effect. A plebiscite is not going to dictate what a government can do but it is indicative of how the people of Australia feel.

I can understand that Senator Macdonald, Senator Colbeck and the government do not want that requirement, to give the Australian people a say on ratification of the Kyoto protocol, put on their shoulders. They would face a tirade and potential cuts to funding from the mining industry if they were to do that, so there is no way they are going to do that. I would have thought the Labor Party would support this and I would be very pleased to hear from Senator Lundy why the Labor opposition opposes this.