Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Labor are a bunch of reckless hypocrites on climate. Environment minister Tanya Plibersek has now signed off on five new coal projects. If we are to avert a climate collapse, there can be no new coal or gas. The science is crystal clear on that. Yet here we are. People tell me they had hope when we kicked out the climate criminals that are the Liberal-National coalition. People tell me they had hope that bold action on climate change would happen, hope that finally Labor would step up and bring some ambition to the table and act decisively as they had promised. Yet here we are.

This is a gutless Labor government, more fearful of losing their fossil fuel donations than they are of the climate emergency that we are in. Well, the last election was a climate election, and we won—the climate won—because there are more parliamentarians here who want strong action on climate than ever before. Yet here we are. Every single coal project that you approve hurtles as faster into a future where people and the planet will suffer beyond measure. We are boiling and burning, for heaven's sake. Labor is in government. Stop whingeing about the past and take some action now. July was the hottest month ever recorded on the planet. The wildfires in Canada have burned 15 million hectares of forest. We've just had the hottest winter on record in Australia. Yet the environment minister is approving new coal.

Shame on Labor for trying to greenwash their climate inaction by seeking Pacific nations' support to host COP 31. Water is lapping at their doorstops. There is a hunger crisis in Africa. Glaciers are melting in Pakistan. Wake up! No more new coal and gas.