Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to do a couple of important shout-outs tonight—firstly, to a remarkable young Indonesian-Australian woman who I was lucky enough to meet in Launceston two months ago: Melati Wijsen. As a schoolgirl she set up an NGO in Indonesia called Bye Bye Plastic Bags. She went to the governor of Bali and said, 'We've got to get rid of plastic bags.' Anyone who's been to Bali and Indonesia knows just what a scourge plastic bags are, especially in the ocean. The governor of Bali said to Melati, 'Get me a million signatures, and I'll ban plastic bags.' She went ahead and got a million signatures. The ban was put in place. Of course, it was challenged by big business and big plastic companies. But last week that challenge was unsuccessful, and the plastic bag ban has passed into law.

Melati hasn't stopped with a plastic bag ban in Bali. She's now unfolding this business model in 41 other countries around the world. She finished school about two months ago, and she's currently on the international circuit trying to do great things. So, all those Australians like me who are doing Plastic Free July—you know how hard it is, even after just one day, to go without some kind of single-use plastic in your life—should spare a thought for the work that Melati's done. I just wanted to note something I felt very strongly after meeting her. Two of my real heroes—Greta Thunberg being another one—are both young women less than half my age. It's quite exceptional that we've got such young role models doing great things and bringing about change around the world.

I'd also like to do a quick shout-out to the tens of thousands of Australians who protested during the election campaign to get some action on climate and action on extinction in this country—the School Strike 4 Climate, the Extinction Rebellion and all those who turned up who actually care about future generations in this country and want to see action on climate.

I want to do a special shout-out tonight to my tribe: the surfing community in Australia. We have seen unprecedented protests all around the country, with paddle-outs in most towns, of surfers, a long way from the Great Australian Bight, standing up for clean and healthy oceans, standing up for action on climate and saying that a future of fossil fuels is a future that needs to be phased out.

Senator Canavan interjecting—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't need to be rescued, Deputy President; I'm quite happy, thank you very much, to take these interjections from the minister for coal in this chamber, who does everything he can to take the donations from the coal industry and come in here and do their bidding—

Senator Canavan interjecting—

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, you listen to that lone protester who had the guts to speak out in front of hundreds of the most powerful people in this country today, to find a voice for the millions of Australians who want to see action on climate and tell you: 'Business as usual is not an option.'

To these surfers around this country, I want to say: 'Thank you. Thank you for standing up.' To the Fight for the Bight alliance, to the people at Wilderness Society South Australia, to Sea Shepherd Australia, to the Bob Brown Foundation, to Greenpeace, to the Surfrider Foundation, and to companies like Patagonia—responsible, ethical companies that are doing the right thing by future generations and the environment—I say: 'Thank you for standing up.' And thank you to the surfing community: to writers like Sean Doherty, for the leadership they're showing on this issue, and to pro surfers like Ace Buchan from Queensland, who has the best backhand I think in the world and on the WSL. In fact, thank you to the World Surf League for also putting up posts on Instagram about Fight for the Bight and how many Australians surfers are standing up and saying, 'This is not the future. We don't want to see this kind of pollution or the risk to our coastlines. We want to see a future free of fossil fuels. Enough is enough.' Thank you to Thomas Victor Carroll, a childhood hero of mine—one of the best surfers this country has ever produced—for his advocacy. Thank you to Heath Joske—healthjozza—who travelled to Norway, and to the many other surfers who joined him, to protest at Equinor's AGM. Thank you to the thousands of surfers from all demographics and all walks of life on the coastlines of this country—my tribe. Thank you for standing up. You will make a difference on this issue. Equinor just got a slap in the face last week. They've been told to go back to the drawing board. Senator Canavan, no matter what he does to try to help the fossil fuel industry, will not be able to stand in the way of this wave.

Senator Canavan interjecting—

There are surfers riding this wave of change, Senator Canavan. Whether you like it or not, you are going to get wiped out and swamped by the change that is coming. 'Be ready for it,' is my advice. Be ready for it. Ordinary Australians are finding their voice and are taking action. (Time expired)