Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Increases in hot extremes and decreases in cold extremes have continued and are expected to amplify further. Anthropogenic climate change is expected to lead to further increases in precipitation extremes, both increases in heavy precipitation and in drought. New analyses of observational data confirm that the intensity of tropical cyclones has increased in the past three decades in line with tropical ocean temperatures.

I want to remind the Senate that there are those in this place who claim that the scientists are part of an apparent conspiracy. Along with them, you would have to include—if this were the case—President Obama, Chancellor Merkel, President Sarkozy, President Hu, former Prime Minister Thatcher and former Prime Minister John Howard, all of whom recognise that action on climate change is required.