Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister Wong. A recent report by Oxfam and ActionAid shows that Australia is funding just one-tenth of its fair share of global climate action. For one of the world's largest fossil fuel exporters and a wealthy colonial country which has contributed significantly to global climate change, this is pretty pathetic. Pacific Island people are on the front lines of the climate crisis despite contributing negligible amounts to global emissions. Recently Pacific elders visited parliament and once again called for Australia to do more and to take the lead on climate change. Minister, will the government commit to finally paying our fair share of climate finance, which has been assessed at $4 billion a year?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Faruqi for the question, and I would make the point that I think there are a number of aspects to her question. First I'll go to the assistance that the government does provide, and I would make the point that over the period that those opposite were in government they cut nearly $12 billion from development assistance. And I regret deeply that the bipartisanship that was offered by us in opposition for continuing the maintenance, the growth and the development in the Official Development Assistance program was never taken up by either Minister Bishop or Minister Payne. I regret that, because I think it would have been much better for the country and also for the people of our region if that bipartisanship had been maintained and there had been less of a chase for some of the right-wing populists who opposed development assistance. I think there is a strong national security case for development assistance, there is a strong peace dividend from it and there is a strong ethical imperative for it as well, given that we know we can avert the loss of lives and we can improve education and health outcomes for people who need that so much in the region.

In relation to climate, this government has come to office with a much more ambitious commitment on climate change. This will see Australia's emissions reduced by 43 per cent. This will see the vast majority of Australia's energy, notwithstanding that we are an emissions-intensive economy, being renewable energy—in excess of 80 per cent—this decade. I appreciate that the Greens do not have the same view about the need to transition. We recognise the need to transition and deliver in the real world. When it comes to development, we have come to office with additional assistance to be provided to the Pacific, which was an election commitment, and I thank my colleagues for that. We made clear to Pacific family members the importance of— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Faruqi, a first supplementary question?

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, Australia is currently contributing only around 0.22 per cent of its gross national income towards international aid—and I take your point that the Liberal-National government reduced that to a pittance—and this is extremely low: well under one-third of what is recommended by the OECD and almost the lowest it's ever been, and it's totally inadequate to meet our obligations. So, Minister, what is your government going to do? And my question is, will the government increase its overall aid commitments in the upcoming budget, and by how much? And I would actually appreciate an answer to this question. (Time expired)

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to budget questions, there's been a lot of 'rule in, rule out'—which is a usual political process in the lead-up to the budget, and I can remember both Senator Cormann and Senator Birmingham standing here and saying, 'Well, these decisions will be made, and they will be made in the budget, and the budget will be handed down on'—whatever day it was at that time. So, I'm not going to do the 'rule in, rule out' thing. But what I would say to the senator is that we made a very clear and costed election commitment to additional funding for ODA, which was announced in the election campaign. We did that—in excess of a billion dollars over four years. That included additional ODA to the Pacific, additional ODA to South-East Asia and an additional $32 million to the Australian NGO Cooperation Program, known as ANCP. We did that because it was the right thing to do for Australia. Our security lies in our region, and we have a national interest in doing what we can to make the region more stable and secure. We will deliver that commitment.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Faruqi, a second supplementary question.

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will be government commit to ending new coal and gas and establishing a transition authority to support coal and gas communities through a transition to renewable energy?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not sure it is a supplementary question, but I'm happy to take it. I've responded on this front before. I know this is the political point that the Greens wish to make, and they know that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change look to the emissions generated in one's own country, and Australia will be reducing those. In relation to projects, for whatever resource, they will go through the appropriate environmental processes. And we will work with Pacific islander family members. As members of the Pacific family, we will work with the Pacific Islands Forum members, because, unlike those opposite—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Faruqi?

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I have a point of order on relevance. My question was very specific. It had no lead-in—nothing. I am asking about new coal and gas and if the government will commit to a transition authority?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister is being relevant.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought I specifically answered that, Senator Faruqi. I know you may not like the answer. I made the point that those projects would be assessed in accordance with Australia's stringent environmental standards. I made the point that the UN Convention on climate change does not call upon Australia to do what you are asking. Let's be clear: you are out of step with where the international community is on this issue.