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

I rise today to pay tribute to the amazing work of the many firefighters and volunteers who have put their lives at risk over the past few days. We've seen vast expanses of this country burning. We've seen the loss of life and property, yet things have been remarkably contained considering the scale of these megafires. It is truly awe-inspiring to see what Australian men and women, many of them volunteers, have achieved in keeping us safe. Their professionalism, their dedication and their compassion are nothing short of inspiring. To the 3,000-plus firefighters on the ground right now: we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything that you do.

What is heartbreaking about these fires, though, is not just the loss of life and the loss of property and habitat; it's that these megafires and, indeed, the preceding stubborn drought that we are experiencing are locked into our climate system and that this is the new normal. What we are seeing today, and what we will see into the future, is the consequence of record high levels of carbon pollution in this country, and that is the great challenge facing all of us, not just as Australians but, indeed, as global citizens.

The question for each and every one of us is: how much worse are we prepared to let things be? We know right now that each tonne of coal that we burn, each gas well that we sink, each bit of land that we frack and each stockpile of coal that finds its way to Asia will make our climate crisis worse, with more loss of life, more loss of property, more dry conditions and more heat. So the question before us is: do we think that our firefighters and other emergency service workers deserve this future? Of course we don't. Do we think that people who live in bushfire-prone areas deserve to face the threat of megafires and increasingly long bushfire seasons, with the threat of loss of life and property that that entails? Of course we don't. So, if the answer to those questions is no, why do we allow the exponential increase in the burning and exporting of coal and gas to continue? We have the knowledge right now about how to address one of the primary drivers of this climate crisis producing bushfires. Why is it that we're not seeing the sort of action that is being taken right across the world?

Well, we know that there are big coal and gas companies making megaprofits out of exploiting Australian resources, and we know that there is an agreement—a consensus—between the Liberal, National and Labor parties that they'll continue to take those massive donations which mean that they're quicker to meet with their coal, oil and gas donors than they are to meet with the 23 fire chiefs who have desperately sought a meeting with the Prime Minister. We have known for decades that this is the future for Australia and we have known for decades what we need to do to stop our planet from burning. And yet this government has fought and sabotaged every effort to keep our community safe from the ravages of a collapsing climate system. But I sense that things are changing.

Eleven thousand scientists have signed on to declare a climate emergency. Fire chiefs, in the midst of these megafires, are speaking out about the need to deal with climate change. Indeed, survivors of this catastrophe are making it clear that now is the time to talk about climate change. They're making it clear that they are the victims of a climate emergency. Scientists, emergency services workers and the victims of these fires are speaking in one voice, imploring our government to take action—to declare a climate emergency, to reduce carbon pollution, to begin the phase-out of coal and gas and to transition to a 100 per cent renewable energy future, with the jobs and employment opportunities that come with that.

In the aftermath of another tragedy—the Port Arthur gun massacre—we saw leadership from a Prime Minister. We saw a Prime Minister who recognised that we were in a moment of national mourning and that the country was crying out for action. He was a man who was prepared to take on members of his own coalition. He was prepared to lean across the political aisle by working with the Labor Party and, indeed, with the Greens on the basis of our National Firearms Agreement. It was forged in the work that the Greens were doing in the Tasmanian parliament. And it was that national agreement which made Australia a safer place; it kept people in the community safe for decades to come.

This is this Prime Minister's moment. Now is the time for this Prime Minister to recognise that this is a nation crying out for action on climate change. This is a moment where he must drop his resistance to the reality of climate change and where he has to take on those members of his coalition who have stubbornly refused to act. He needs to reach across the political aisle and he needs to work cooperatively with the states. He needs to sideline those who deny the threats to science and he should embrace the progress, technology and jobs that come with transforming our society to a pollution-free future.

We know what we have to do. We've known for years. We can build a renewable energy economy that will produce tens of thousands of jobs. We have to invest significantly to enhance our capacity for improved land management and a national disaster response. We have to phase out coal, oil and methane gas to ensure that we reduce pollution and so that we have an approach to climate change that is consistent with the science.

Of course, there is so much to gain in this new future: new jobs, revitalising the regions and ensuring that people who are right now facing the threat of dangerous climate change can realise those opportunities that come from making this transition.

This is our moment. This is the moment for this parliament to come together, but it will only come together if this Prime Minister recognises that we are a nation being torn apart because we have members of his government who refuse to address the climate emergency that is confronting us. We urge the Prime Minister to reach across the political aisle like John Howard did all those years ago and to meet with the opposition leader, to meet with the Greens, to meet with members of the crossbench and to forge a path forward by declaring a climate emergency and developing a pathway to reduce our pollution from coal, oil and gas.

This could be the moment that makes this Prime Minister and this government. It is up to him. If he continues on the path that we're on, he will have failed in his duty to protect Australians and to ensure that we keep future generations safe from our climate crisis. (Time expired)