George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked today.

It is an inconvenient truth for this government that the PM has long said that climate change was nothing more than gloomy predictions. He has only recently even acknowledged that climate change exists or there even may be a connection between events and climate change. They are now awakening to the truth of the matter. The government are trying to play catch-up with their environmental policy. They have rushed to announce some modest environmental initiatives in an effort to buy green credentials but it is not enough; it is too little, too late. They have missed the game. The announcement today of funding to fight international deforestation is welcome but it is not a get out of jail free card for them in dealing with the issues of climate change.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Did you write this?

George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Your government has an appalling record, Senator Ferguson, when it comes to environmental policy. You have spent the past 10 years ignoring climate change. In a period when action was required, you have spent 10 years ignoring it. The government will not ratify Kyoto. They will not set targets for cutting greenhouse pollution. They will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets and they have not appointed a minister for climate change.

Your government has failed to take any lead on a national carbon trading scheme. Even businesses such as Rio Tinto are calling for a national trading scheme because they know that it makes sense. So where does your government stand on climate change? One of the key ministers, the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, Ian Macfarlane, continues to deny that climate change even exists, and he is not alone on the government side.

John Watson (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Look at all his initiatives.

George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is not alone on the government side, Senator Watson. In the absence of strong leadership on this issue, members of the government have come up with their own ideas. What are some of those ideas? They are very interesting. The West Australian Liberal MP Dennis Jensen wants to blast a giant shadecloth into space. Estimates in the US have suggested that this would cost around $US200 trillion to achieve. The Minister for Small Business and Tourism, Fran Bailey, also suggested that a shadecloth to cover the Great Barrier Reef would help with coral bleaching. These are terrific proposals. They would be funny except for the fact that these people are actually running the country. What novel ideas to face up to and meet one of the greatest challenges that mankind has ever had to face; what politicians, who would prefer to fund a multitrillion-dollar shadecloth mission to space rather than signing up to Kyoto.

While the Prime Minister, John Howard, is happy to dismiss Sir Nicholas Stern as just another expert and brush off his recommendations, the ALP chooses to take note of the overwhelming evidence the scientific community is providing. A Rudd Labor government will ratify the Kyoto protocol. It will cut Australia’s greenhouse pollution by 60 per cent by 2050. It will establish a national emissions trading scheme, substantially increase the mandatory renewable energy target, establish a greenhouse trigger in federal environment laws and set up a $500 million national clean coal fund and a $500 million green car innovation fund.

We are having an environmental conference on Saturday. This is the start of Labor putting together a plan, in conjunction with the community, that will seek to tackle these vital issues that our community faces and that the globe faces. We will seek to put in place the building blocks for the next federal Labor government to make decisions in respect of our environment that will have an impact and lead to change in the environmental circumstances. (Time expired)

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator George Campbell just let the cat out of the bag. He said that the Labor Party this Saturday are going to start putting together a plan to address global warming. It will be the very first plan they have got. Thank you, Senator George Campbell, for admitting what we on this side—and I think most other Australians—know: the Labor Party has never had a plan or a policy on global warming or, for that matter, on anything else. I know that Senator George Campbell read all of his speech. I do advise him that he does not have to take and accept the claptrap that someone writes for him. He really should think about the issues himself.

To suggest that this government has not had 10 years of action in relation to climate change and greenhouse gas emission simply belies the facts. Senator George Campbell can fool himself all he likes but anyone having a simple look at the facts will see that in 1996 when this government came to power we set up the Greenhouse Office. That was an initiative to make sure that these things were addressed—not next Saturday, as the Labor Party are going to do, according to Senator George Campbell, when for the very first time they are going to start putting together a plan. Unlike the Labor Party, we did this 11 years ago and in the ensuing 11 years there have been any number of initiatives by the Howard government on climate change and low-emission technology.

I say this to Senator George Campbell and all members of the Labor Party over there: at the last election I stood shoulder to shoulder with the ‘F’ part of the CFMEU to save the Tasmanian forests. At that time the Labor Party was totally opposed to forest workers’ jobs and did everything possible to join up with the crazy Greens initiatives to destroy the forestry industry in Australia. I am pleased to say that some of the more sensible people—the one or two of them that there are—in the Labor Party have had the good sense to reverse that. But I stood shoulder to shoulder with the CFMEU to fight Labor to make sure that forestry workers saved their jobs at the last election.

And I can give you this commitment, Mr Deputy President: I will stand shoulder to shoulder with the CFMEU—the ‘M’ part of the CFMEU this time—to save the jobs of workers in my state of Queensland in Bowen Basin coalfields. Following the crazy Greens initiatives that we have had from Senator Brown, Labor is lukewarm to the clean coal low-emission technology development that the Howard government has introduced. I know that Mr Rudd is on again, off again about that. It depends who he is talking to. If he is talking to the miners, he is going to adopt the Howard government’s clean coal technology initiatives, but when he is talking to the latte set, which have so much influence in the Labor Party these days, then he goes the other way. But there is no doubting Mr Howard’s commitment and there is no doubting my commitment. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with the mining unions to ensure that their jobs are saved.

Our support is not only for their jobs but for the economy of Queensland. Coalmining makes an enormous contribution to the Queensland economy. It makes the Queensland economy the best in Australia—and I know that some of my Western Australians colleagues might challenge that. Certainly it does fabulous things with the export dollars it brings in. It also does sensational things for local development with the miners earning very big wages, more than $200,000 a year many of them—and good luck to them; they deserve it; they work for it. They reinvest the money in local areas, developing local economies and building for the lifestyle of Queensland. Our government will not be fooled by the ridiculous Kyoto proposals of the Labor Party. We will not be fooled by their antidevelopment proposals. We will get good clean technology initiatives up and we will look after the environment and workers jobs as well. (Time expired)

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I came into the chamber today thinking that this government were climate change sceptics, but I think that a better description would be ‘climate change deniers’. We have had a couple of extraordinary admissions both in question time and in Senator Macdonald’s last couple of comments. We had Senator Minchin earlier today talking about the discussion of climate change being an apocalyptic hysteria. Then we had Senator Abetz trying to convince us that climate change is not true because otherwise Bob Brown would not have his electoral office on the Hobart waterfront. Now we have had Senator Macdonald just tell us about ridiculous Kyoto proposals. All this says to me is that this government is not serious about addressing climate change. They do not believe that climate change is actually happening. They are just trying to catch up with the polls. Everybody is ahead of the game in terms of climate change. Everyone is ahead of this government in terms of climate change. We only have to look at the coal industry itself. It recognises that things need to be done to reduce emissions.

Kay Patterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Patterson interjecting—

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Patterson is worried about where I am walking. That is okay, I thought she was actually agreeing with me. If the coal industry can acknowledge that this country should have an emissions trading scheme, wouldn’t you think the government should come on board and actually acknowledge that there would be reasons why they have come to that conclusion? Everybody seems to accept that climate change is a real result of human activity on this planet and unless we start to address these issues, and address them now, then the planet will simply become sicker and sicker, and the economic disadvantage—which the government likes to talk about—will be astronomical into the future. This just demonstrates that this is a government that wants to blame everybody else for its own inaction. The best we get is that some 10 years ago the government set up a climate change office. That is the extent of what they can tell us they are doing in a serious way to reduce our emissions of CO in this country. It is not good enough. It is clearly not taking us where we need to go—in fact where the rest of the world is going.

What is the main argument for not signing up to the Kyoto protocol? The government say: ‘A number of major emitters aren’t signed up to it, and we’re not going to do anything to disadvantage Australia.’ The problem with that argument is that we will never have a global system which everyone signs up to. If Australia and everyone else takes the view that until the whole world agrees on a process we will not have one, then we will never do anything. While it is true that Australia makes up only 1.5 per cent of the world’s emissions, per capita we are a heavy polluter. Developed nations like Australia need to develop clean technology, develop emissions trading schemes, and assist and lead the rest of the world, especially the developing world, in an effective approach to addressing emissions associated with climate change. If we cannot do it, if Australia as a developed country cannot do it, how do we expect developing countries to be able to do it?

To run the constant mantra that such measures would put us at some economic disadvantage is, again, a hollow excuse, when we see that in Germany they targeted a 21 per cent cut and they will achieve a 19 per cent cut. The UK, Germany, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden—they are all projected to achieve an absolute cut in their 1990 emissions by the 2010 Kyoto deadline. We do not see all those countries going bankrupt. We do not see the economies of those countries being devastated. In fact, they will reap economic rewards into the future for taking the hard steps now to achieve a reduction in their CO emissions.

But what does Australia do? We just merrily march along and say we are going to meet our Kyoto targets even though we will not ratify the treaty. We know and the government know we are not going to come close to meeting those targets. Then they will say, ‘Well, we’ve got to look beyond Kyoto and, when the rest of the world signs up to a scheme, we will get on board then.’ We say that is too late. We say the hard decisions should have been taken years ago, but it is not too late if the government are serious and start taking them now. But they cannot take them because they are not just sceptical about climate change; they deny it is even happening. (Time expired)

John Watson (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The scientific jury is still out on whether the warming of our oceans and the higher land temperatures that have been a feature of recent years are really a long-term problem as part of planetary evolution or due to man-made factors. I am not one who sits at either extreme of the debate because I believe that, certainly at the margin, we could all do more individually and collectively to reduce levels of CO emissions. I remind the Senate that the level of CO entering the atmosphere increased substantially because of industrialisation—the Industrial Revolution that started in England. In recent times, because of the growth of industrialisation in China and in newly developing countries, levels of COhave increased at quite a substantial rate.

The point is that there is no single solution to the global climatic change challenge. We have to examine this from a number of perspectives. I think Australian farmers in particular have adapted remarkably well to climate variability and water shortage, sometimes under intense difficulties, by improving the efficiency of water use, holding more water in reserve, having fodder conservation practices and developing new strains of drought-resistant plants. I think of the developments in the rice industry and the progress there in using less water to produce more rice. Australia has a lot to be proud of, including the farmers for the way they have adapted and managed the variability of our climate—because it is the variability that is the day-to-day problem.

I would draw your attention to a press release by Prime Minister Howard today, launching the Australian government’s Global Initiative on Forests and Climate. The release says:

This represents a material advance in the global effort to tackle climate change and protect the world’s forests.

Some of the biggest problems in terms of forest clearing occur in countries around the equator, in places like Brazil, Indonesia and, to some extent, Malaysia and Thailand. The release continues:

The Australian Government has committed $200 million to kickstart this world leading initiative that will reduce significantly global greenhouse gas emissions.

It is interesting to note that the press release says:

Almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from clearing the world’s forests—second only to emissions from burning fossil fuels to produce electricity …

The opposition constantly say that the Australian government has not done enough in this area. Let me give you some examples of the initiatives of the Australian government, particularly those under Minister Ian Macfarlane. The government has made six grants worth $410 million, supporting nearly $2.5 billion in private investment in low-emission technologies, including renewable energy. We are leading the world in terms of technologies to lessen CO emissions from coal. The LETDF is a competitive program focused on supporting the best possible flow of emissions technology for Australia’s sustainable energy supplies. We have also funded one of the world’s largest solar power systems, in Northern Australia. The story goes on.

At the extreme we have Senator Bob Brown calling for a shutdown of our coal industry. We have others calling for a shutdown of our aluminium industry but, because aluminium is a world metal, what was not produced by Australia would very quickly be taken up by other countries.

I have taken a lot of interest over the years in the level of rainfall in my state. For example, last year, Burnie had its lowest rainfall on record. The Bureau of Meteorology told me that their studies of over 100 years in Tasmania show that, just south of Oatlands, rainfall has been reducing slowly. (Time expired)

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also rise to take note of answers on climate change. It is clear from the answers given here today and, indeed, from comments by the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, that the government does not have the capacity to deal with the opportunities or recognise the challenges of climate change. The Howard government still does not get it on the serious issue of climate change. It is still willing to ignore the mounting evidence and the cold hard facts that tell us the threat posed by climate change is real. Most importantly, the government is willing to put its head in the sand and ignore the growing concerns of the Australian people—the people in whose interest it is meant to act.

The Prime Minister yesterday, when asked whether he agreed with British economist Sir Nicholas Stern and whether he would join Labor in making a commitment to reduce Australia’s greenhouse pollution by 60 per cent by 2050, again demonstrated his short-sightedness and ignorance about the seriousness of climate change and the real threat it poses to Australians. The government, with its usual arrogance, effectively dismissed the majority of Sir Nicholas Stern’s claims and proceeded to assert that it would do what was in the nation’s interests.

How can ignoring the growing evidence being put forward about climate change and, most importantly, ignoring the mounting public concern about the issue be, as the government claims, in the national interest? It simply is not. The government has made it abundantly clear that it has neither the ability, nor the political will, nor the leadership to tackle this issue. The government simply does not get it. The government does not understand the importance of addressing climate change to securing Australia’s economic growth and its social and environmental long-term future. This is evidenced by the fact that the government is happy to acknowledge only those comments of Sir Nicholas Stern that fit with its own political agenda.

This proves that the government is not and will never be fair dinkum when it comes to climate change. Any action that it decides to take is motivated purely by protecting its own political interests rather than by promoting the interests of the Australian people. Its ignorance of the importance and seriousness of the issue of climate change is evidenced again by its inaction on the issue over the past 11 years. As noted by the shadow minister, during its time in government the coalition has failed to introduce a single piece of legislation on climate change. This despite the fact that way back in 1996, 11 long years ago, the then Minister for the Environment stated that he believed this was an urgent matter. I would hate to see what the government’s approach would have been over the past 11 years if climate change had not been considered urgent.

The growing scientific evidence is clear. There is a need for urgent action to address the issue of climate change; to reduce greenhouse emissions; for an emissions trading scheme; and for a portfolio approach to climate change which includes clean coal, renewable energy and energy efficiencies, all of which are part of Labor’s climate change policy suite. We now have an announcement from the government that is all about pragmatic politics. It is all about strategy for the election. Mr Howard and the government do not believe in the science, and the announcement is not about combating climate change; it is about winning an election. Labor, on the other hand, is about initiatives that work and about good policies that protect jobs and combat climate change. This weekend, experts from around the world and leading businesspeople will attend Labor’s national climate change summit to talk about these issues and about possible policy responses. It is in the national interest that we work together.

In 11 long years, this government has failed to manage a comprehensive response. The government has now come out with an announcement because it is severely embarrassed, but it still does not recognise the problem. It is pure politics and the voters will see through it. The voters know that Mr Howard and the government have no comprehensive agenda. They know that Mr Howard does not believe in the science. Australians know that the inaction and complacency of the government and its lack of leadership over the last 11 years are going to cost them jobs and living standards and they are going to cost the environment. The challenges that face us need strong, committed national leadership, but this government cannot or will not take up the task. The government is unable to work in the national interest.

Only a Rudd Labor government can provide policies to address climate change. The climate change issue needs to be urgently addressed with intelligent, well thought out and viable solutions to ensure a sustainable future. The issue of climate change is one that is all about time. The time to act is now. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.