Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I thank the government and that opposition—that's, Senators Chisholm and Ruston—for this opportunity to complete my speech. I'll be jumping more quickly in future. I remind fellow senators that last Wednesday I showed the UN's 2050 net zero pipedream has become a nightmare—an environmental nightmare, a humanitarian nightmare, an economic nightmare and a social nightmare. For this reason I support the proposed inquiry into the impacts of wind, solar and transmission lines.

The UN's net zero 2050 target is the enemy of the environment, yet this parliament keeps refusing to look at the facts. It keeps ignoring and refusing to listen to the people. It keeps refusing to look at the reality of what is happening across eastern Australia, North Queensland, Central Queensland, southern Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Huge swathes of Australian landscapes are being cleared for millions of solar panels, wind turbines and transmission lines. Lines are being cut through the bush and through rainforests and across family backyards and prime agricultural land.

Tens of thousands of kilometres are needed for the UN's net zero pipedream demands in Australia, and for what? Unreliable, expensive solar and wind power that won't keep the country going. And for what? The New South Wales government is now working to extend the Eraring power station's life to safeguard electricity supplies. The New South Wales government accepts an independent report's recommendations to keep coal-fired power. I quote again the article, as a reminder. The article says:

… such a closure—

referring to the Eraring power station—

at that time would expose the state to possible blackouts and further price increases.

As if people aren't suffering enough—further price increases. It also says:

NSW premier Chris Minns said affordability and guaranteeing electricity supply was paramount.

That's why they want to keep open the coal-fired power station at Eraring. Affordability and guaranteeing electricity supply are paramount. Mr Minns is quoted in the article as saying:

One of the biggest challenges facing NSW is ensuring we can keep the lights on while managing the biggest change in energy mix and consumption in the shortest period of time in our nation's history.

It's hasty, ill-conceived and not thought through. That's what's coming home. The chickens are coming home to roost around the country.

In closing, when visiting Chalumbin on the Atherton Tableland I saw for myself the wind turbines graveyard. These metal monsters are short lived and too expensive to recycle, so they're just dumped in the bush after just two years in operation. I now acknowledge and thank Ravenshoe's Friends of Chalumbin for being warm, informed and knowledgeable hosts and guides. I'll name some of them: Sharon; Laurie; Tom, a traditional owner; Peter; Rob; Penny; and others too many to list, including all the locals who came along for the forum we held in Ravenshoe. I assure all the friends of Chalumbin, of the Wide Bay-South Burnett region and of Central Queensland that One Nation will continue to work to stop these monstrous invaders of the human and natural environments. We must stop this nonsense of killing the natural environment in the name of supposedly saving it. We must stop this nonsense of killing the human environment. Humans are entitled to live in harmony and health. We all in this parliament must stop making policy and legislation contrary to empirical scientific data and return to governance based on solid empirical scientific data.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the question be now put.

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

The question is that the question be put.

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

The question is that the motion moved by Senators Colbeck and Cadell be agreed to.