Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Chris Evans. How many people constituted the Australian delegation to the United Nations Copenhagen conference in December last year? What was the total cost to Australians of this delegation’s attendance at the failed Copenhagen conference?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not think it would be fair to characterise the Copenhagen conference as ‘failed’. Clearly, the outcomes of the conference were substantial, if not all that this government sought to achieve out of it. We think international engagement on serious responses to climate change remains a huge priority both for the world and for this country. At the release of the long-awaited opposition’s policy today Mr Abbott could not answer questions about the detail—he looked to be shuffling around when asked about it. Quite frankly, it looked a fairly inadequate and pathetic response, but I am sure Senator Wong will have something to say about that at some stage in the debate.

In relation to the specifics of Senator Abetz’s question, as I recall, the figures for those who attended the conference were made available at the time and were reported widely in the press. I do not have that information—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brandis interjecting—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not have it with me at the moment because, as I said, it is on the public record. I am happy to assist the senator and either refer him to the press reports or check with the Prime Minister’s office. Certainly, I know those figures were reported widely. I am happy to assist the senator if he missed them and get those from the Prime Minister’s office and make them available to him at the first opportunity.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. If the minister does not agree with my definition of ‘failed’, does he agree with the government’s own climate change adviser, Mr Ross Garnaut, that the Copenhagen conference was a ‘fiasco’?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I obviously do not agree with Mr Garnaut’s characterisation of the outcome. I think there were outcomes that were worthwhile and which will help take it forward. As I said, the details about who was attending the conference were released. My understanding from a brief that has just been handed to me is that there were 68 federal government delegates and the total size of the Australian delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the parties in Copenhagen was 98. So 68 were federal government delegates and the total Australian delegation was 98. I will see if I have the rest of the information that Senator Abetz requested and provide it to him.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. The minister does not agree with my description and the minister does not agree with Mr Garnaut’s description. Does the minister agree with Labor’s key business adviser, Dick Warburton, that given the failure at Copenhagen there should be ‘a delay in whatever we do until we have a clear picture’? Given the fiasco of the Copenhagen conference and calls for the CPRS to be abandoned, why is the government again forcing the parliament to deal with its flawed legislation to inflict a massive new tax on all Australians? (Time expired)

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Obviously, there were a whole series of questions in there. I do not think it will come as any surprise to Senator Abetz that I do not agree with him. I do not agree with him about much. In some ways I regard him as the definition of ‘failure’. This is just another opportunity for the opposition to apply its new tactic, which is to oppose everything and try to ‘dirty up the government’, as described by the leader, rather than seriously deal with policy. I remind the opposition that at the last election they were absolutely committed to taking urgent action on climate change and were absolutely committed to a trading scheme. Under their previous leader they were absolutely committed to it. It seems they have had another policy adopted in the last day, but they have no credibility on this issue whatsoever.