Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator Carr heard that I was asking the question of him. Can the minister advise the Senate on the State of the climate report released today by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology. What does this report tell us about Australia’s climate, and what changes have our—

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is another credible source.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It takes two to debate.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Bernardi and Senator Macdonald, the time for debating the question is after question time is completed.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I will go to the third part of the question. I take it you heard the first two, before the interruption?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just continue the question.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What changes have our climate scientists measured in temperature, rainfall and sea levels?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Moore for that very important question. The CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology are two of the world’s leading climate science agencies. The Liberal Party is not. The State of the climate report reminds us once again that climate change is real, and given the excitement that just the mere asking of this question has generated on the other side of the chamber it is clear that the Liberal Party maintains that climate change is not real. This is a report—

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Finance and Debt Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why didn’t they ask Penny?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Joyce, interjecting is disorderly during question time. You need to control yourself.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is not a pessimistic forecast of how things might be at some distant point in the future. It is an evidence based description of how things are now. Since 1960 the mean temperature in Australia has increased by 0.7 degrees Celsius. In some areas, the increase has been as high as two degrees Celsius. This is not a lot of year-to-year variability but the trend is obvious and as everyone in this country—except a few Liberal senators at a recent Senate estimates committee—seems to accept, rainfall patterns across the country are also undergoing dramatic change. Rainfall in the south-west and south-east of Australia, including the major population centres, has decreased over the last 50 years. At the same time, we are seeing a substantial increase in rainfall across many parts of northern and Central Australia. The picture overall is of increasing volatility, with more dry days and more extreme rainfall events. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate of how much of the climate change that Australia is now experiencing is caused by human activity and how plausible are other explanations—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What role have greenhouse gas emissions played in the changes our scientists are already observing?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is extremely unlikely that the warming that Australia has experienced can be explained by natural causes alone. The evidence is plain. Last year, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 386 parts per million. This is much higher than the natural range that has prevailed for at least 800,000 years. We are now more than 90 per cent certain that greenhouse gas emissions have caused most of the global warming since the middle of the 20th century. This is a very high level of certainty. How the Leader of the Opposition might wish that he could rely upon a 90 per cent certainty that Senator Joyce would get through the week without putting his foot in it!

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When we have silence we will proceed.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister advise the Senate how the government is responding to the clear scientific evidence that climate change is already occurring? What are the essential elements of the government’s strategy to tackle this climate change? What role does Innovation—your ministry, Minister—play in this strategy and how urgently is action required?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Finance and Debt Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We’re talking bath mats—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The interjections are soaking up question time unnecessarily, Senator Joyce.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government’s strategy is to reduce Australia’s emissions and to prepare the community and the economy for the climate change impacts which we cannot avoid. We are also in the business of trying to shape a global solution.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When we have silence on both sides we will proceed.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is central to that strategy. We are investing in the research and innovation that will enable us simultaneously to protect the environment and improve living standards. Senator McGauran informs us that CSIRO’s climate research is ‘utterly trivial’. He should tell us how it is that Australian communities are living every day with our increasingly volatile and extreme weather conditions. He should tell us whether or not he accepts that the science is verified. He should tell us whether or not he supports the science.