Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I know that Senator Xenophon has put a considerable amount of work into his amendments, to his credit, and that is why I am taking his amendments seriously and responding to him in an appropriate manner as to why the Greens will not be supporting them. Unlike Senator Joyce, I am actually speaking to the relevant amendment before the chamber at this point in time.

Whilst I understand why Senator Xenophon has moved the amendment that he has, the new structure we are putting in place is reminiscent of the British climate change authority, which has led to huge leaps and bounds in that country such that they are now going to reduce their emissions by 50 per cent on 1990 levels by 2028 or 2030. That is because they put their faith in an independent climate authority on which there are climate scientists. That is precisely what we are hoping will come from the climate authority—that is, for once we will have serious science engaged and serious recommendations made to government where the physical reality and the political reality actually have to meet.