Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I hear Senator Williams interjecting that carbon is not a pollutant. This is typical of what I think is the bulk of the coalition's view. It is unscientific. It is antiscientific. It is trying to deny the science of climate change. Senator Williams at least does not make any bones about the fact that he is a denier of this stuff. That is to his credit. I do not accept what he says, but at least he does not deny it. The worst elements in the coalition are those that say, 'I agree with the science, but …'—and then they have all the arguments about why the science is not relevant. It is a nonsense.

Senator Birmingham will be talking here later. I think Senator Birmingham is one of the most tainted politicians in this chamber in relation to climate change. Senator Birmingham was a strong supporter of putting a price on carbon but, when he thought he could make some political progress within the coalition, he dumps his values, he dumps his policies—and what does he do? He takes up 'direct action'.

We have another group in the Senate who are obviously climate change deniers: the DLP. The DLP are here. I am never quite sure what pocket the DLP are in—whether it is the Nationals' pocket or the Liberals' pocket—but he is always in one of those pockets, let me tell you.