George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, we have been debating this issue, as you and I both know, in this chamber for many years. What has been a subject of frustration to me, I must say, and to many on my side of the chamber, is the refusal of those who have your concerns to even pay the courtesy of a hearing to those who might challenge your assertions. We believe, on our side of the chamber, that the discussion of any question of public importance is improved by a debate, is improved by having the premises tested and is improved by having the conclusions questioned, rather than the assertion that we so often hear from the Greens that there is only one point of view available here, and that's the end of the matter.

Having said that, I accept, and the government accepts, the proposition that there is an empirically established link between human behaviour and climate change, and that includes, on occasions, extreme weather events. Although, among scientists, as you know, Senator Di Natale, there is also a vigorous debate about which extreme weather events may be attributable to which particular causes of agents.