Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Abetz. I understand tonight that cabinet will be discussing its climate change targets—targets that have a very direct impact on whether this nation will contribute to tackling catastrophic global warming. Can you confirm reports that this government will be adopting climate change targets that are well short of the targets demanded by the science. And, if so, why is it that your government continues to hitch this nation's prosperity to those polluting coal and gas industries rather than the jobs-rich renewable future offered by renewable energy?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me start by telling Senator Di Natale exactly what the proposal is for cabinet—I don't think so. You know very well, Senator Di Natale, that I am not in any position to talk about matters that are going to come up before cabinet later this afternoon upon which a decision may or may not be made; and I am not even going to confirm whether or not it is even on the agenda for today. As you well know, Senator Di Natale—a good try as the new leader of the Australian Greens, and I have to admire the pluck of the question—I am not going to go there.

In relation to the target we adopt and how that is going to be classified, I am absolutely resigned to the fact that no matter what target we, as a government, put forward, it will not be enough for the Greens because, no matter what we do, the Greens would want to see higher cost of living and even greater job destruction—something which we, as a government, will not entertain.

As a government, what you need to do is get the balance right and that is why we will give all these matters due and careful consideration, keeping in mind that the Australian people overwhelmingly voted against the carbon tax that the Labor Party and the Greens forced through this place and which the Australian people cast a verdict about in September 2013.

Let us not also forget that other methodologies of energy production will lift thousands, indeed millions, of people out of poverty around the world, and we have got to keep that in mind as well. So what the Australian people can be confident about is that the coalition will take a very measured, sensible approach and not the extreme ideological approach of the Australian Greens. (Time expired)

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Talking about extreme ideology, we have got a coalmine in Adani that requires $16 billion of infrastructure to generate a return over the next 50 years and yet their biggest customer, the Indian government, has said it is not going to buy Australian coal—in fact it will stop importing coal in six years. Can I ask: is the government trying to convince Australian banks to bankroll this unfinanceable project?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to each and every project, commercial decisions will be made by the various parties but, I must say, I was somewhat excited by the prospect of a $16 billion infrastructure investment in our nation, but of course that means jobs and that is why the Greens are automatically opposed to it.

I say to the honourable senator that, if there is a viable $16 billion investment in the Australian resource sector, that means jobs, that means prosperity, that means wealth—it means that we have more money for the things that we need in this country.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order going to relevance. I asked very directly at the end—and I accept that there was a preamble to my question but the question was very direct—whether the Australian government had been talking to Australian banks to convince them to bankroll this project.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Di Natale. I remind the minster of the question, and he has 22 seconds in which to answer the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As is always their wont, there are highly charged preambles by the Australian Greens, and then they get offended when you deal with the incorrect assertions that are the preamble to the question.

In relation to anybody speaking to the banks: I am not aware of that, but I will see if there is any further information that I can provide to the senator. (Time expired)

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that China's coal imports have reduced by 40 per cent in the last six months, India has had an 11 per cent drop in one month, and we are seeing share values in coal companies around the world plummeting—in fact, Australian coal assets bought for $450 million four years ago are now worth a dollar—does the government stand by its forecast that thermal coal exports will keep rising into the future, and will it bet all of Australia's prosperity on this dying industry?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, there is the false assertion that we are betting the whole of Australia's future prosperity on the coal industry. Who has ever asserted that? Nobody other than the Leader of the Australian Greens, trying to put a false assertion into the ether and hoping that if it is repeated enough it will somehow get accepted as fact in the media and in the public. We will not allow the Australian Greens to so grossly misrepresent the Australian government's position on this or indeed any other matter.

Is the coal industry an important part of the Australian economy and an important part of our prosperity? Is it important for the jobs and wellbeing of many thousands of our fellow Australians? The answer to all the above questions is yes. We as a government support the coal industry, the jobs that it provides and the wealth that it provides to help pay off the Labor-Greens debt legacy that we have been saddled with. (Time expired)