Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to ask a question of the Minister representing the Minister for Resources, Minister Farrell. The government is currently developing its future gas strategy, which is using the gas industry's false talking points that gas is necessary as a transition fuel and firms up renewables. The science says that the atmosphere cannot absorb emissions from the current fleet of coal and gas plants, let alone any new ones, without climate collapse. Why is this government using the gas industry's false talking points instead of implementing a steady phase-out of gas?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cox for her question. I think the gas industry is perfectly correct here. Gas is a transition fuel. In a perfect world where we know that there are serious future issues with climate change, it would be terrific if we could turn a switch and go from fossil fuels to renewable fuels. But we know that that's absolutely impossible. No country in the world has managed to today turn off gas and tomorrow be completely reliant on renewable fuels.

This government intends to be a renewable superpower. We're going to transform this economy in a way that that mob over there would have never ever even contemplated doing, but, if we're going to do that, then we have to keep the lights on between now and when we can make that change. The fuel that we're going to do that with is gas. Without gas in that intervening period, we cannot make the transition, nor will we have the support of the Australian population to do it. (Time expired)

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

Senator Cox, first supplementary?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just last week, the Minister for Resources told a conference in Japan that Australia's gas is helping lower Japanese emissions. More fossil fuels increase emissions, and Japan's latest figures show that their emissions are up by two per cent. Why is the minister again using false talking points provided to her by the gas industry?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cox for her first supplementary question. We are very lucky in this country to have a minister like Minister Madeleine King. She understands the resources industry like nobody else I know, and she, of course, understands just how important it is for this country to honour all of the agreements that we have made over a period of time. There's nothing worse than a country breaching its agreements, and, of course, this government and this minister, Minister King, have absolutely no intention of breaching any of the international agreements that we have made, whether it's with Japan or any other country. (Time expired)

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

Senator Cox, second supplementary?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The future gas strategy has solely focused on the phase-out of gas, not developing plans to prop up the dying industry and help out their political donors. So when will the Minister for Resources start adopting advice from climate scientists and government agencies instead of the propaganda that's being pedalled by the gas industry?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cox for her second supplementary question. Right now.