John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I refer the minister to a Citigroup review on the effect of climate change that found that Australia’s big mining companies BHP and Rio Tinto were well prepared for the impact of climate change on their business. Given that BHP and Rio Tinto are prepared to recognise and plan for the impact of climate change on their business, why is the government not prepared to recognise and plan for the impact of climate change on Australia’s farmers? Don’t the severe reductions in ABARE crop forecasts show that climate change has the potential to cost the farm sector and our economy billions of dollars in lost earnings? How much longer does the agriculture sector have to wait for the government to put in place measures to help it adapt to climate change?