Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's word was mud in Glasgow, and everyone knows it. We had an Australian pavilion that was whitewashed and greenwashed, covered in logos from Santos, without even a skerrick of representation from our First Nations people. Why is the Prime Minister not just denying the climate science and the fast track we need but also denying First Nations people a right to have a voice in relation to this issue?

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

I suspect Senator Hanson-Young was talking to a rather select group of individuals when she was in Glasgow. That's my suspicion. And the group Senator Hanson-Young was hanging out with probably had some predetermined prejudices in their thinking—apparently even a prejudice against a fine, significant South Australian company like Santos, which Senator Hanson-Young chose to sledge on the way through in her question.

What Australia highlighted was not just our overachievement in terms emissions reductions but our commitments and plans for the future: the commitment to work towards net zero by 2050, underpinned by government investment of more than $21 billion in low-emissions technologies over the decade to 2030. This will help to secure more than $80 billion in total investment by leveraging other private sector capital and investment that is going to help achieve the types of emissions reductions through technological breakthroughs that have got us so far in achieving more than 20 per cent reductions to date and will help to achieve the further challenges we face. (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, a second supplementary question?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's performance at Glasgow was embarrassing. We've now got back to Australia and, again, the Prime Minister can't be trusted on anything he says. He's lied. He's misled. He has absolutely denied the truth in relation to—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, on a point of order?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. The reflection on the Prime Minister is clearly against standing orders and it needs to be withdrawn unequivocally.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, on the point of order?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, you may wish to go away and consider this as well, but I do note that, earlier today, Senator Ruston used the words 'lying', 'liar' and 'lies' on multiple occasions in the contribution on the suspension debate and accused everyone on this side, knowing that they were lying. She made a number of allegations about lying. We didn't take offence, but I would ask you to reflect on whether or not, given that the Manager of Government Business in the Senate has been prepared to use those words, it's appropriate at this stage to rule this out.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order in the chamber! Senator Wong. Senator Ruston. There has been a clear precedent and a number of rulings that say that an epithet like lying, directed at an individual, is clearly in breach of 193(3), whereas such a comment directed in general at a political party is not out of order. In the case of this question, Senator Hanson-Young, your accusation was directed at the Prime Minister, so I will ask you to withdraw that part. I think the rest of the question can stand. You have 11 seconds remaining. I would ask you to withdraw and then continue your question.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you Mr President, I withdraw. Minister, why does the Prime Minister have a problem with truth?

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

In Senator Hanson-Young's reference to those international engagements that occurred at Glasgow, she obviously overlooks the fact that the Prime Minister, in those international engagements and with Australian ministers in our government, has signed new technology low-emissions partnerships with Singapore, Japan, Germany, the UK, Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam, demonstrating indeed just how closely the Prime Minister and our government are working with international partners. That's completely contrary to the types of claims that the Greens want to make. These are close international partnerships on technology cooperation that are a vote of confidence in terms of the investment we are making in our technology; the work and commitment that we have to emissions reduction; and Australia's track record on achievement, which our government is proud of and continues to pursue and deliver.