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

Thank you, Senator McEwen, for that contribution. It is the case that, amongst the effects of climate change which scientists warn us about, there are droughts and bushfires, including more extreme bushfires. That is enormously regrettable and it is one of the reasons why we have seen emergency service workers—including those coming to Parliament House—demanding action on climate change. Senator Milne hosted an event that I attended and we saw emergency service workers, including firefighters, who had come to parliament to urge action on climate change. On the second point—and I am not sure, Senator Milne, that I understood your question correctly—but there was a question about the effect of deliberately lighting fires to clear land, for example. I indicate that Australia’s proposal is that the special case exception, about which I have been speaking, would only be where there is no land use change.