Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The arrogance of Senator Macdonald and Senator O'Sullivan's motion today is gobsmacking. Yes, desperate lobbying by the Australian government has managed to avoid the down-listing of the Great Barrier Reef. But here's what the World Heritage Committee and advisory bodies also had to say:

Climate change remains the most significant overall threat to the future of the property. It is recommended that the Committee express its serious concern at the coral bleaching and mortality that occurred in 2016 … their scale serves to underline the severity of the threat to the property from climate change.

This government, hand in hand with the Queensland state government, will approve any coalmine, frack any basin and dredge any port if it means more money for their mates in the fossil-fuel industry. Right now, we're seeing them rush headlong into giving $1 billion of taxpayers' money away to the Adani coalmine. There is no plan from this government to deal with climate change, and therefore there is no plan from this government to protect the Great Barrier Reef. (Time expired)

Question negatived.