Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is for the Leader of the Government, representing the Prime Minister. Last week, 91 of the world's leading climate scientists meticulously reviewed over 6,000 studies and issued a wake-up call to governments across the world. They told us that if we want to have any chance at all to avoid the tipping points that will trigger a climate breakdown—if we're going to have any chance of saving our coral reefs, of avoiding the droughts that are currently afflicting Australia and of avoiding extreme weather—we have to eliminate all 42 billion tonnes of carbon pollution and phase out coal-fired power. In response, the environment minister said it was 'irresponsible to talk of phasing out coal-fired power'. Minister, do you agree with the environment minister and ignore the scientists in saying that it is irresponsible to phase out coal to secure humanity's future?