David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to note Senator McKenzie's concern for rural and regional Australia and commend her for it, along with her concern about lawfare. But I would like to point out to the Senate that this is already happening. We've seen young people take the former government to court, saying that they have a duty of care to future generations. We are seeing at the moment Tiwi Islanders and Gamilaraay people taking Santos to court over fossil fuel projects. Lawfare is happening. Litigation is happening.

It's my sense that that happens when the government's not actually doing what the Australian people want and not actually making decisions that are in the best interests of all of us. It seems to me that this bill before us is a way to begin to do that, to turn another page in terms of climate change, and to say that we're actually going to get serious about this and we're going to deal with the challenge at hand. The battle should be about how we act, rather than if we should act.

With that in mind, I would urge the Senate to bring a vote on the amendments that I have put forward. I note that there are other amendments that we are yet to get to, and I'm sure that will provide Senator Canavan with opportunity to ask more questions of the minister and others. In the interests of time, if it's okay with you, Chair, I thought I might speak to the amendment that I hope to move in the next section.