Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Cormann, representing the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister used his role of leader of this country to bag out young people, to criticise the thousands of young people who will be going on strike to call for urgent climate action. He said among other things that these issues can be dealt with outside of school. If the Prime Minister really takes climate change seriously, why did he so patronisingly dismiss the very real concerns of those who will live with the effect of climate change the longest?

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

Firstly, I don't agree with the characterisation of the Prime Minister's remarks by Senator Steele-John. I think the basic proposition that most reasonable people would agree with—those of us who care about future opportunity for young Australians—is that kids should be at school. I don't think that there is anything out of the ordinary in the proposition that kids should be at school in order to prepare them for a successful life in Australia into the future.

The second point I would make, as I have done in the past, is that we are always guided by wanting to ensure that young Australians have the best possible opportunity here in Australia to get ahead in the future, and that is why we want to do the right thing by the environment in a way that is economically responsible, because we, of course, understand that, if we want to ensure that young Australians can get a job and build a career here in Australia, we need to ensure—

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

Senator Steele-John, on a point of order.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance, my question goes to why the Prime Minister felt it appropriate to use his platform as leader of his country to criticise the actions of young people.

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

Senator Steele-John, the minister was being directly relevant to the question asked.

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

May the record show that I believe that this was one of my most directly relevant answers yet! Let me also express a wish on behalf of the children of Australia. All of us want our children to have the best possible opportunity in the future to get ahead, and it is preferable for children to spend their time in school rather than participate, during school time, in demonstrations of the kind that the senator has referenced.

The final point I would make is that I'm sure that if and when you meet with young Australians you tell them that you joined in with the Liberal and National parties to defeat the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme put forward by Senator Wong. Like us, you no doubt wanted to have the right balance between environmental protection and economic responsibility, and we are eternally grateful that you helped us stop that terrible impost on families and businesses around Australia. (Time expired)

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

Senator Steele-John, a supplementary question.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Year 10 student Imogen Viner sent a letter to the PM stating her disappointment with his comments yesterday. To quote Ms Viner: 'You say that you want more learning in schools and less activism, but it is only through activism that our learning is put to good use. What is the point in preparing for a future in which we won't want to live?' How does the minister respond to Ms Viner's question?

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

Australia is a free country. We live in a democracy. Every individual Australian is entitled to their opinions, and we want good Australians on all sides of politics to engage themselves and become the best they can be in their view of the best way forward. In the end, that is how we get the best possible outcomes for our community. One way young Australians can ensure that they become effective advocates of their views, their values and their principles into the future is by attending school, and I refer the good senator to my answer to his first question.

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

Senator Steele-John, a final supplementary question.

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My final question to the minister is simply this: will he apologise to these students for arrogantly asserting that they are not entitled to protest on their concerns about climate change?

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

As I've already indicated in answer to the first question, I don't accept the characterisation of the Prime Minister's statements that Senator Steele-John is putting on them, and the government stands by the statements the Prime Minister has made.