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

My question is for the Leader of the Government, representing the Prime Minister. Last week, 91 of the world's leading climate scientists meticulously reviewed over 6,000 studies and issued a wake-up call to governments across the world. They told us that if we want to have any chance at all to avoid the tipping points that will trigger a climate breakdown—if we're going to have any chance of saving our coral reefs, of avoiding the droughts that are currently afflicting Australia and of avoiding extreme weather—we have to eliminate all 42 billion tonnes of carbon pollution and phase out coal-fired power. In response, the environment minister said it was 'irresponsible to talk of phasing out coal-fired power'. Minister, do you agree with the environment minister and ignore the scientists in saying that it is irresponsible to phase out coal to secure humanity's future?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Di Natale for that question. Firstly, it is a matter of fact that coal is, and will continue to be, an important energy source for Australia and, indeed, for many countries around the world. What our government supports is effective action on climate change in a way that doesn't gratuitously harm Australian families. What I would say to Senator Di Natale is that Australia has a proud track record when it comes to making our contribution to addressing climate change in a sensible fashion. Indeed, we not only met but actually exceeded our commitment under the first Kyoto target by 128 million tonnes. We are on track to beat our 2020 Kyoto target by 294 million tonnes. Australia's abatement task to reach our Kyoto 2 target has fallen from the 755 million tonnes estimated by Labor in 2012 to beating it by 294 million tonnes under our government. And we can absolutely meet our Paris 2030 target, with no impact on electricity prices, supported by our policies and technology change. Our policies include the Emissions Reduction Fund and safeguard mechanism.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Look at our track record. The Australian people understand that we can do both. We can do the right thing by the environment in a way that is also responsible economically.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order on my left! Senator Whish-Wilson!

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We can do the right thing by the environment in a way that is economically sensible, that doesn't gratuitously harm families around Australia. We want families around Australia to continue to have the best possible opportunity to get ahead, for the economy to be strong, for more jobs to be created, for electricity to remain affordable—and we want to also ensure that we make our contributions to emissions reductions.

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

Thanks, Mr President. Minister, we have looked at your track record. It's a disgrace and you should be ashamed of yourself!

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

Come to the question.

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

Minister, do you agree with the environment minister's assessment, who, without having read the IPCC report, says that the world's most pre-eminent scientists are 'drawing a long bow that the continued burning of coal is incompatible with a healthy climate system'.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't believe that even the Labor Party would be suggesting that we walk away from all coal as an energy source for Australia. If that is Labor's position, I'd be very interested to hear it. In the meantime, today is the day we discovered that Senator Marshall is concerned about socialism. This is a great day in Australian politics. Let's mark that occasion. Let's join with Senator Marshall in promoting more sensible economic policy. The approach that we are promoting is one that does the right thing by the environment in a way that is also economically sensible, and does the right thing by working families around Australia. The Greens clearly don't care about working families around Australia; we do.

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

Minister, do you agree with the former Deputy Prime Minister, who has been advocating over the weekend to redirect the money that's allocated to Snowy Hydro 2.0 into building new coal-fired power stations? Do you agree with the former Deputy Prime Minister, who wants to ditch your signature energy policy and build a new coal-fired power station?

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

I will call Senator Cormann when I can hear his loud voice.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reassure Senator Di Natale that there is no such proposal before the government and that that is not at all on the table in any way, shape or form. I would say that, in relation to Snowy Hydro, it's a matter of public record that they're currently considering an investment opportunity into Snowy 2.0. That is going through its normal processes. A final investment decision is due towards the end of the year, and it will be made based on commercial considerations and whether or not the proposal stacks up on commercial grounds. That is what the Australian people would expect us to do.