Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for the protection, Mr Acting Deputy President, but I don't need protection from the likes of Senator Rice. This is the typical Greens' thing. If you don't agree with them, they will deride you, giggle like schoolgirls and try to shout you down.

I keep raising the point that they won't tell me what impact 1.2 per cent will have on the changing climate of the world—but Dr Finkel did. I asked Dr Finkel: if we shut Australia down, if we reduce Australia's emissions by 1.2 per cent, what impact would that have on the changing climate of the world? Dr Finkel said—and it's on Hansard'virtually none'. The Greens are in here every day saying, 'Cut Australia's jobs; do away with manufacturing; do away with motor vehicles; do away with everything that has a carbon emission because it's going to kill the Barrier Reef,' yet Dr Finkel says that it will have virtually no impact on the changing climate of the world. The Greens bring lie, after lie, after lie to this debate—as they do with everything. We just heard a Greens senator say that the Barrier Reef is dead. That is a direct and outright lie. The Barrier Reef is not dead; it is brilliant. There are parts of it in some condition, but the Barrier Reef continues.