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

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Minister, isn't it time to be honest with the Australian people? The key reason you are all knifing the Prime Minister is for daring to even propose just the illusion of reducing climate pollution and modernising the energy system. Is even pretending to stop dangerous climate change too much for your incompetent, divided and self-absorbed government?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are many problems for the Australian Greens, but there are two that I will particularly single out on this occasion. One is that, when it comes to climate change and to energy policy, no measure is ever extreme enough for the Australian Greens. The other problem is that they always fail to look at the facts. The facts are that Australia is on track to meet our 2020 target. Our projected emissions in 2020 have come down with every single update. Our position on the 2030 target has also improved by over 120 million tonnes since the December 2016 projections were released. When the 2020 emissions target was announced in 2008, 1,335 million tonnes of emissions were needed. Now we are on track to overachieve on that 2020 target. That's driven by a range of factors, including the rate of technological change. What the Greens just deny and refuse to accept is the reality that Australia, because of technological change and because of innovation, has been able to continuously meet and exceed our projections targets.

That's what happened in relation to the first Kyoto target. It is happening in relation to the 2020 target, and I expect it is exactly what will happen as well, as the current trend lines are showing, in relation to the 2030 target.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a supplementary question.

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

The 45th Parliament will forever be defined by the complete capitulation to those who denied the existence of dangerous global warming. Minister, why has your government chosen to fight amongst yourselves rather than fighting to save the Great Barrier Reef, rather than fighting for a safe and stable climate, rather than fighting for our farmers and rather than fighting for future generations?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The historians will decide how they define the 45th Parliament, but hardworking Australian families will remember that the 45th Parliament was the parliament that legislated the most comprehensive income tax reforms to eliminate issues of bracket creep. Australian small businesses will remember the 45th Parliament as the parliament in which they were legislated with more competitive tax rates. Australian families will remember this parliament as a parliament where they received a fairer, better childcare system that provides around $1,300 per child of additional support for them. Indeed, some people will remember the 45th Parliament as the parliament in which same-sex marriage was legalised. There are many things this parliament will be remembered for. There are many things that we ought to be proud of out of this parliament. There are many things that we will continue to work on as a government in relation to this parliament. We will continue to work to ensure— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a final supplementary question.

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

The international community—investors, scientists, diplomats and so on—is watching Australia right now. Minister, are you proud that your government has announced to the rest of the world that Australia is now the climate-denying capital of the world?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If there is one thing that the coalition will never do, it is take lectures from the Australian Greens on the idea of what is good for investor certainty. What a preposterous idea. The Australian Greens, with their policies, would see vastly higher energy prices in Australia, vastly less agricultural activity and vastly lower reliability in terms of energy. The Australian Greens are one of the biggest threats to investor certainty in Australia. But, do you know what's worse? The reason the Greens are a threat is their alliance with the Australian Labor Party. If the Labor Party didn't insist, as they did when they were last in government, on doing deal after deal with the Australian Greens, then the Greens would be irrelevant. But, instead, the Australian Greens are the tail that wags the Australian Labor Party's dog. That is the threat. That is why Labor is so committed to higher taxes—they have to meet the Greens promises in terms of spending—