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

I want to respond to a couple of the things that have been raised. I think I have responded to Senator Milne previously. Senator McGauran has berated me for not responding. I have to say, I do not recall any question being put in his contribution. It may be that we missed it on this side of the chamber.

But in relation to Senator Back I want to make a couple of comments. I do not think anybody in this chamber is suggesting anything other than all of us, regardless of our political parties or level of government, want to try and minimise the danger of bushfires. I do not think that is a political proposition; that is a human proposition—everybody in this parliament believes that. I was very moved, Senator, by the emergency service workers who attended parliament. You would not normally think of them as green activists, but they decided to come to Parliament House and do their very long run to try and bring attention to the impact of climate change. I thought that was a really wonderful display of some of the best characteristics of Australians, actually—people who are not particularly loud, who are humble, simply saying, ‘This is what we think about what we are seeing and what we have seen, and we need you as political leaders to act.’ That was a very moving sight. I congratulate them for their work and for their campaign.

In relation to the legislation before the chamber, I am not sure what was being asked by Senator Barnett. Perhaps, again, I misunderstood what he was asking. He did make some references such as, ‘Well, if this is all at 2012, isn’t it all up in the air?’ I thought I had explained that in a previous contribution, where I had explained that this was discussion of carbon accounting rules which are applied under the international framework, which we believe can be better constructed for a better environmental outcome; it can be more sensibly constructed. As I responded to Senator Joyce, we have taken on the views of the National Farmers Federation, and others, who do believe that farmers can be part of the solution on climate change, and have been supportive of some of the government’s moves in relation to the CPRS—something that I know the National Party does not like, but that is the reality of what is a significant organisation representing—