Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I rise to take note of document No. 1, which is the report from the Climate Change Authority's Sector pathways review. This report considers the emission pathways for six sectors: agriculture and land; the built environment; electricity and energy; industry and waste; transport; and resources. Those are the six sectors that are best positioned to support Australia's transition to net zero emissions, but none of us should ignore what's happening around us, in Australia but also around the world, as this report is handed down.

The report is being handed down as Australia records its hottest ever winter temperatures. Just three weeks ago Yampi Sound, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, broke the previous national winter record when it reached 41.6 degrees. That is not just impacting on climate. It's not just impacting on ecological systems and processes that underpin that complex, beautiful web of life that exists on the planet. It's not just impacting on the health of all the places that we love so much—even some of the places we might not love so much. It's impacting on the health of people around the world. We're already seeing an increased number of deaths from climate related circumstances right around the world, including heat stress.

This report rightfully acknowledges that working to reduce emissions now is far more efficient and effective that waiting and hoping that bigger breakthroughs will do all the work, but we all know, in this place, what we need to do to rein in emissions. We all know that we need to stop approving new coal and gas mines. We all know that we need to stop logging our native forests. We know these things. This is not an issue where lack of knowledge is holding us back. This is an issue where lack of political will is holding us back.

If we had more people in this place who were prepared to stand up and fight the big fossil fuel corporations, who were prepared to fight to defend nature and defend our native forests from the ongoing destruction that is enabled by the complicity of the establishment parties in this place, if we had more people who were willing to fight in this place and demand real climate action, we could actually do the things that need to be done to rein in our emissions and make sure we have a safe and livable planet, not just for humans but for all the myriad species that rely on our climate and our ecological processes.

Do you know the quickest, simplest way to get more people into this place who are prepared to do these things? Vote for the Greens. Put Greens in this place. We are not beholden to the big polluting corporations. We are here to defend nature. We are here to defend the complex, beautiful web of life that exists in our forests. We are here to rein in emissions. We will not be bought out by the political donations—the institutionalised bribery from the big corporations—as the major parties are. Just last week, the establishment parties in this place colluded to vote down Greens legislation to end the logging of native forests in Australia. Why did they do that? They did that because they are captive to the native forest logging industry, in the same way that they are captive to the fossil fuel corporations.

I've been in politics for over two decades and, for the entirety of my political career, I have watched Labor and Liberal get together to ensure the ongoing destruction of our forests. I have watched Labor and Liberal get together to facilitate the ongoing operations and the ongoing profits of big fossil fuel corporations. I know how this story goes. I've read this chapter before.

The time to act is now. Stand up for climate action, defend nature and make sure that we have a livable planet.