Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move Australian Greens amendment (1) on sheet 7705:

(1) Schedule 1, Part 1, page 3 (line 2) to page 4 (line 3), to be opposed.

This is similar to the last amendment but drafted slightly differently and more broadly. But it achieves the same outcome of stopping this gutting of our renewable energy target from a very sound 41,000 gigawatt hour target down to a paltry 33,000 gigawatt hour target.

As we have just seen from the vote on the last similar amendment, it looks as though we have very few friends. We can clearly see that both the Liberal Party and the Labor Party have ganged up to slash the renewable energy target, right at this point in human history when the vast majority of climate scientists are begging us to make the transition to a low-carbon economy. Right at this point in history in 2015, both of the big parties in this chamber have just voted to slash the RET from 41 to 33. Here is another chance. I am moving a similar amendment that would achieve the same outcome and I would love it if you could reconsider your positions. I severely doubt that that will be the case, but I would urge you to listen to the clear community sentiment on this one.

Last week, we saw the Lowy poll, which canvasses community sentiment across a whole range of issues which found that 63 per cent of Australians want serious action taken on climate change and want us to be global leaders. If that is not a clear statement and if that is not certainly a clear turnaround from recent years then I do not know what is. It is perfectly clear that people can see the danger that climate change is posing to our very way of life, to our economies and to our environment. We have seen more and more extreme weather events buffet our coast, slam our good quality, food-producing land and damage people's homes. The science tells us that those sorts of extreme weather events will become more frequent and more severe. Yet this government is now cutting the renewable energy target and the Labor Party are letting them do it. In fact, they are both voting together on this.

I think it is an incredibly sad day for renewable energy. What I take heart from is the fact that the global momentum towards clean energy is reaching such a pitch that it is unstoppable. I just want Australia to catch up with that. We have such fantastic economic opportunities here out of protecting our environment and protecting our existing industries that need a healthy climate, like tourism and agriculture. We have such great potential to generate the jobs of the future, to generate jobs-rich clean energy. Yet this government is so stuck in the past that it is intent on propping up coal—not just propping up; it wants to double the coal export industry out of Queensland, out through the Great Barrier Reef, a world heritage icon. The World Heritage Committee has been so concerned about its future and scientists say the No. 1 threat to the reef is climate change. This government is in complete denial on the science. It has already abolished the carbon price. It already got rid of the mining tax rather than fixing it up.