Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am provoked to rise on this issue because, like Minister Wong and my colleagues here, I want to see the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 [No. 2] dealt with as quickly as possible, but there are many questions to be asked on the biggest issue to go through the parliament. I was going to say ‘the biggest issue to go through the parliament for a long time’, but I do not think there has ever been a bigger issue.

Senator Bob Brown is right: it is a key issue and a key amendment—very much so. Senator Milne is correct, but we come from the other side. Senator Milne was doing all right, and she has done since this debate began. She has presented her case rationally and calmly, but the leader of the Greens keeps coming in and interjecting all the time with extremism. He has gone now, which is probably a good thing for the whole chamber and the debate. The extremism that he injected into this debate has to be challenged. He called the views on climate change of anyone who challenges his view and the science that he is relying on ‘witchcraft’, didn’t he? Yes, he did! Of course, he never talks about natural climate change. I have never even heard it mentioned—even from the other side, ironically.