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

Our new Prime Minister has said that he wants to place science—

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

Who to, Senator Di Natale?

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

Thank you again. I have to get better at this, don't I? That is twice I have done that. I would never have made it at home.

Senator Bernardi interjecting—

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

Start again, Senator Di Natale.

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

I am looking forward to Kitchen Cabinet tonight, Cory—or on Wednesday. What are you cooking?

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

Question, Senator Di Natale.

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

My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Our new Prime Minister has said that he wants to place science and innovation at the heart of his government. Given that the targets that this government is taking to Paris are totally inconsistent with the science and keep us firmly in place as the world's biggest per capita polluter up until 2030, will the Prime Minister now revise the targets he is taking to Paris so that they are indeed based on science and they do drive innovation, or is the Prime Minister just another politician who says one thing but does another?

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

Senator Di Natale, you must not have been in the chamber when I answered Senator Reynolds's question about Australia's ambitious and effective climate change and emissions reduction policy and emissions reduction target. Might I remind you, Senator Di Natale, that Australia commits to a reduction from 2005 levels of between 26 and 28 per cent by 2030. That puts us in the median range in terms of percentage emissions reductions of comparable economies. But, more significantly, it means that we are one of the most ambitions nations in the world in per capita terms. By achieving emissions reductions of 26 to 28 per cent off 2005 levels by 2030, Australia will achieve a per capita reduction of 52 per cent, which is the second highest per capita reduction of emissions in the OECD.

Now, Senator Di Natale, you and I both know that Prime Minister Turnbull is a person who has been very, very close to this issue throughout his political career. You and I both know that there are few if any people on either side of politics in Australia today who have a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of these issues than Malcolm Turnbull. We both know that. Mr Turnbull proudly takes to Paris on behalf of Australia the second most ambitious per capita reduction in emissions of the OECD, and that is something I think we should all be very proud of.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. We have just learnt today that Australia signed up with 18 other countries to the emission innovation project, which is a project that seeks to get all shoulders to the wheel in developing and deploying new clean technologies domestically. Does that mean that the government will now axe its plans to abolish the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, two agencies that power that investment?

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

Senator Di Natale, you should not conclude that we will do that, because that is not something that is in contemplation. What we are going to do is to adhere to the successful emissions reduction policies for which this government has been responsible. I said to you a moment ago that we will take to Paris the second most ambitious per capita reduction in the world. Let us compare our ambition with that of comparable economies. The Canadian emissions reduction target is a per capita reduction of 44 per cent. The American emissions reduction target represents a per capita emissions reduction of 35 per cent; the Japanese, 21 per cent. (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 the Prime Minister supposedly supports science, does he acknowledge the widely held view that Australia's domestic contribution will be dwarfed by the approval of the Adani coalmine, and will he join those nations around the world who in Paris will be calling for a moratorium on new coalmines?

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

We certainly will not be calling for a moratorium on new coalmines, Senator Di Natale, because we support coalmines. We support coalmines; we support the coalmining industry; and we and some, though not all, elements of the Australian Labor Party support the development of the Carmichael mine by Adani, and we wish to see it go ahead.

As I have said to your colleague Senator Waters, who represents the state of Queensland, as do I, this is a project of immense importance to people in Central Queensland. It is of immense importance. If you have travelled to Central Queensland, as I do from time to time and have done very recently, you would understand how important the Adani development of the Carmichael mine is to those people.

Our projections have been reliable. In fact, we have erred on the side of caution, which is why I was able to point out to Senator Reynolds in response to her question that we in fact will exceed our target by 28 million tonnes. We will exceed our target by 28 million tonnes. (Time expired)