Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Seselja. When asked in 2020 about a target of net zero by 2050, Minister Seselja said it was 'reckless' and the sort of policy you would expect from 'a minor party like the Greens, but not a party who claims to be a party of government'. Is this still the minister's position?

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Gallagher for the question. When it comes to action on climate change, our government—

Honourable Senator:

An honourable senator interjecting—

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it is, actually. It's about zero net emissions. That is actually about climate change, Senator; sorry to break it to you. When it comes to that, the Morrison government has of course signed on to the Paris Agreement, and the Paris Agreement outlines a number of important goals.

Honourable senators interjecting—

It does. It outlines a number of important goals. It has things like a 2030 target—something that this government has committed to—of bringing down emissions by 26 to 28 per cent, something we are well on track to meet. It also talks about getting to zero net emissions in the second half of the century, and our Prime Minister has said that we intend to get there as soon as possible, preferably by 2050. One thing that this government won't be doing and where we—

An honourable senator: Reckless!

What is reckless, absolutely reckless, is to make targets or promises with no plan for how you're going to get there, as those opposite do. What are the Labor Party going to do? They don't have a 2030 target because they don't want to tell us how they're going to get there, and, when it comes to zero net emissions, they won't tell us. So what are we to take from that? Well, it might be that they might go back to previous form. When they were in coalition with the Greens, what did they do? They brought in a carbon tax. That was their main method of bringing down emissions. We on this side are about technology, not taxes, so investing in renewables, working in smart ways on new technologies like hydrogen, but not destroying jobs. Be it in regional communities, be it in manufacturing, be it in the outer suburbs, this coalition government will stand for those things, whilst meeting and beating our 2030 targets, as we are doing, in contrast to many countries around the world.

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

Order! Senator Gallagher, a supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was an interesting answer. Can the minister confirm that the minister now supports the Prime Minister's preference for net zero by 2050?

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I support absolutely all policies of the government. As a proud member of this coalition government, I tell you what: I support every one of them, because the alternative, over on that side, is ever higher and higher taxes; destroying jobs, whether it be in our regions or in our cities; and completely abandoning those people who the Labor Party used to pretend to represent—the working class, people like me who come from relatively low-income backgrounds. The alternative is you mob, and what are your alternative policies? It might be to tax your way to your non-existent 2030 target or to your aspirational 2050 target, but you won't tell us how you will get there. We've made it very, very clear that we will put on the table exactly how we're going to reach our targets. That's why we've been successful to date, and we will continue to pursue those kinds of policies into the future.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! I'll call Senator Gallagher when there's order. We're wasting time for the opposition. Order, on my right! It's not helpful when there's noise from my left.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a further supplementary question. In February the Deputy Prime Minister wrote:

… the Nationals have always been opposed to a net-zero target … If the Nationals supported net-zero emissions we would cease to be a party that could credibly represent farmers.

Does the minister support the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister?

Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said earlier, I support all policies of this coalition government. And as I pointed to earlier, the fundamental difference, and what the Labor Party doesn't seem to understand—maybe the member for Hunter understands it. Maybe there are some others. Maybe Senator Farrell actually agrees with the member for Hunter that you don't achieve good things for the environment by trashing jobs and trashing industries. This is a party that claims to support gas, yet the second we put forward a gas-fired generator—that supports renewables, that backs up renewables—what does the Labor Party do? They oppose it. This side of politics will continue to meet and beat our targets. We will continue to grow our economy. We will continue to reduce emissions while protecting jobs, protecting livelihoods and growing our economy, in stark contrast to those opposite.