Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Climate change has not disappeared. It continues to require strong domestic and international action. It is without doubt that climate change continues to demand strong policy commitment. The Rudd Australian government remains committed to the CPRS as the cheapest and most effective way to combat climate change. Our greenhouse gas reduction targets remain unchanged. A Rudd Labor government is boosting our existing investments in clean and renewable energy and supporting greater energy efficiency measures. This means faster and more accelerated investment in renewables and renewable energy technology to help ensure Australia can meet our emissions reduction targets.

The Rudd government has tirelessly pursued the best interests of the nation in attempting on several occasions to pass the CPRS through the Senate. In the wake of obstruction of the CPRS from the opposition and the Greens, the government has looked to other areas of renewable energy sources—in particular, the expansion of the renewable energy target to 20 per cent. That means by 2020 the household electricity equivalent usage will come from renewable sources. In addition, a $2 billion commitment to clean energy technology such as wind, solar and geothermal sources will help ensure that the technologies we need to face the future are developed. This government is committed to carbon capture and storage technology development, evidenced by a $2.5 billion commitment. A further $5 billion has been committed to supporting Australian businesses and Australian households in reducing energy usage and emissions.

Under the Howard government, renewable energy in this country was going backwards, despite Australia having some of the world’s best wind resources and the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent. We also have huge potential in geothermal and wave energy. Today the Australian government is making unprecedented investments in renewable technologies and their deployment. It is important to remember that the government has undertaken these practical and effective initiatives, developed and implemented during and despite the CPRS obstruction and the misinformation of those opposite. This government has remained open to negotiation with all parties, but those opposite have demonstrated their willingness repeatedly to pursue their own political interests over the national interest. On the contrary, this government has a demonstrated commitment and determination to address climate change.

Recently I became aware of a Liberal National Party survey distributed in my home state of Queensland in which constituents are encouraged to have their say on climate change. We, of course, all know Tony Abbott had his say some time ago on that issue. Imagine my surprise upon discovering 10 questions dedicated to this issue. Of particular interest was a question which asked:

Which statement best sums up your view about climate change?

- Climate change is caused by humans.

- Climate change is part of a natural environmental cycle made worse by humans.

- Climate change is part of a natural environmental cycle.

- Climate change is not occurring.

- Don’t know.

Naturally the missing option of ‘absolute crap’ as a tick box response is missing. I cannot begin to understand how this underpinning statement of the opposition’s climate change policy has been omitted. Just think of the seconds of thought, effort and development that went into Tony Abbott’s ‘absolute crap’ policy statement. It was wasted. The people of Wright were denied the pleasure of witnessing the extent of the coalition’s brilliance on climate policy. It seems Mr Abbott is happy to flirt with the idea of consultation on this issue, just as he is happy to experiment with the definition of truth and ‘gospel truth’.

Are the good people in the seat of Wright reading this survey expected to believe Mr Abbott will consider their responses concerning climate change? Quite clearly, the answer must be no, as Mr Abbott has already decided what a government led by him will do in this regard: nothing. He made that decision in the same way he makes all his decisions, without the consultation of his caucus, his party or genuine consultation with the Australian electorate as a whole. An interesting coincidence is that the survey page includes a photo of Mr Abbott with none other than what appears to be the disgraced, disendorsed former LNP candidate for the Queensland federal electorate of Wright, Hajnal Ban. The parallel fates of both this survey and Ms Ban are appropriately linked. Under a coalition government led by Mr Abbott, climate change is destined to meet the same fate as Ms Ban’s candidacy—thrown out, and dead in the water.

This survey circulated by the Liberal National Party in Queensland is nothing but a disingenuous and scurrilous attempt to mislead the public with one-sided questions—questions based on negatives rather than neutrality, and always looking for the answer the LNP wants, rather than that of the survey’s respondent. I believe the recipients of this LNP survey will see through the questions and agenda sought in it, as they see through this opposition leader, phoney Tony Abbott.