Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

On Friday this government's own minister for resources wrote a letter to the opposition, arguing that this bill pass because of the $30 billion worth of investment that hinges on it. It is very disingenuous to now suggest to Senator Pocock that this bill is doing anything that would further the expansion, and therefore reduce the transition time frames, of other types of technologies, because, if we're not spending $30 billion on CCS and expanding gas, perhaps industry would be spending $30 billion on actually building the technology that is clean and green. It's totally disingenuous to sit here today and tell us that this bill will not further expand fossil fuels. That's the purpose of the bill. The minister for resources said it herself. She has pleaded with the Dutton opposition spokesperson to let it through on that basis.

The ability of this government to speak out both sides of its mouth is extraordinary. We're not stupid. The Australian people are not mugs. You say one thing in here and you say another thing to the gas cartel. You say one thing in here and your colleagues down in the other place say another thing. Minister, could you enlighten the Senate as to why the bill is called the sea-dumping bill?