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

Senator Lundy asked what the ultimate test was of the effectiveness of climate change policy. Surely we in this chamber would agree that ultimately the test is whether it reduces the risk for our children, because that is what this debate is about. You reduce the risk of climate change for future generations by reducing the carbon pollution that actually causes climate change. It is quite extraordinary that we see from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abbott, a climate con job that not only does not reduce carbon pollution but actually ensures that carbon pollution will grow. That is extraordinary. The people who do not believe in climate change have, as the alternative government, put forward a policy to the Australian people that actually says: ‘Guess what? We’re going to spend billions of dollars but emissions will actually grow. We’re going to spend billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to ensure that by 2020 Australia’s contribution to climate change will actually get worse.’ That is the opposition’s position on climate change. Rather than achieving the five per cent emission reduction that they have already signed up to, the Liberal climate change con job will actually see emissions increased— (Time expired)