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

If the interjector on my right cannot substantiate the interjection he would be better to abide by another standing order, which he is breaking at the moment. I put to my fellow crossbenchers that they should not be supporting this proposal by the opposition unless they fully understand the very serious ramifications of doing so.

I say this to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans: the Greens have made it clear from the outset that we would not be obstructing the government in presenting climate change legislation and getting it through this parliament. We disagree—and we will come to that matter later this week—with the proposal put forward by the government because it is weak, unsatisfactory and will not do the job of confronting and reversing climate change. Nevertheless, we are in the business of the government’s legislation—which the opposition basically agrees with—being dealt with by the Senate. That is the proper course of action, and this motion deserves to be lost.