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

I always like following Senator Boswell in a debate on climate change because I always like to say that at least Senator Boswell is not like the majority of the coalition in the Senate—he does not hide the fact that he does not believe in climate change. Senator Boswell does not think that the sea level will rise; Senator Boswell does not think it is going to get warmer; Senator Boswell does not think that the Great Barrier Reef is under threat; and Senator Boswell thinks that we can keep ploughing CO2 into the atmosphere, polluting the atmosphere, with absolutely no consequences. At least Senator Boswell actually believes that.

The ones who are the problem are those in the coalition who actually know that CO2 is damaging to the future of this planet and who actually know that future generations will pay a huge price in their living standards and in terms of the environment. They are the ones who will pay the price—future generations. It is clear on any economic analysis that the best way to deal with carbon pollution is to put a price on that pollution. Senator Boswell says that no-one is doing anything. That is part of the misinformation; that is part of the fear campaign that is underpinning the coalition's approach to this very important issue. In fact, the opposite is the truth. China is the biggest producer and user of renewables—