Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about something that is close to my heart: the environment. Today we are facing one of the biggest problems of our lifetime: climate change. Climate change is affecting everyone and it is time we step up to the mark and fix what we as humans have broken before it is too late. I was privileged, like other senators, to be part of the Senate Economics Legislation Committee’s inquiry into the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and related bills, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Climate Policy and a participating member to the Senate Select Committee on Fuel and Energy at its Gladstone hearing.

The experiences were an opportunity to hear from copious witnesses from renewable energy technology areas, environmental conservation groups, a variety of all types of businesses, scientists and action groups. I take this opportunity to thank the secretariat and my fellow senators, particularly Senators Cameron, Feeney and Pratt, for their commitments in dealing with possibly the most crucial piece of legislation this century and with over 8,000 submissions.