Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rest my case, Mr Acting Deputy President. They can't even allow other people speaking on this issue to be heard in silence. They have to shout us down because they don't like hearing what we think about what they're doing. But, rather than being guided by blind ideology and always, as I said, being on the watchout for consequences of biblical proportions—signs that the world is about to end, plagues, floods, pestilence—those on this side take a much more responsible approach. We do want to improve our environment, we do want to reduce our emissions, but not at the cost of all Australians.

Australia produces just 1.3 per cent of global emissions, as my colleague Senator Macdonald is fond of pointing out in this chamber. We do believe it is important, which is why we've joined the global response to climate change. It is why Australia and this government ratified the Paris Agreement in November 2016. Australia does make a strong contribution to the negotiations and implementations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Sometimes I think that's why those opposite get so, so evangelical about this whole issue—they can't stand the fact that other people actually care about the environment and want to do something, but, again, not at all costs and not to the cost of all Australians, to their jobs and to their livelihoods and affordability. They're always talking about affordability, but the direct implications of their berserk and bizarre policy of having renewable energy at all costs at 12 per cent and increasing it when we don't have the adequate base power is impacting on all Australians. Shame on you for actually using the disasters in other places to—