Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis: I refer to the teaching letter or encyclical of Pope Francis which calls for an urgent moral response to the scientific reality of global warming, rampant environmental destruction and extreme poverty.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on both sides but particularly my right! Senator Waters, I am going to ask you to start the question again. I could not hear it and nor could Senator Brandis.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, President; I will commence again. I refer to the teaching letter or encyclical from Pope Francis, which calls for an urgent moral response to the scientific reality of global warming, rampant environmental destruction and extreme poverty and condemns indifference, denialism and obstructionism.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, on both sides.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Forty-two per cent of the Abbott cabinet is Catholic, including the Prime Minister himself, who, of course, once trained to be a Catholic priest. This government has rolled back—

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On my right.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

our effective price on carbon pollution—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Just a moment, Senator Waters. Order!

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think we have hit a sore point, President.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just a moment, Senator Waters.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I be allowed to continue at some point?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On both sides!

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order, Mr President. I would like Senator Canavan to withdraw his comment; he reflected on Senator Waters.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I did not hear what the comment was, but if Senator Canavan believes he needs to withdraw, I will accept that.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did reflect, and I am happy to withdraw, Mr President.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Canavan. Senator Waters, would you like to continue with your question?

Government senators interjecting—

Order on my right!

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would very much like to, thank you, President.

A government senator: You are married, aren't you?

No, I am not, and that is an irrelevant question; my marital status has nothing to do with this chamber.

This government has rolled back our effective price on carbon pollution, and, today, in the Senate, is seeking to slash the clean energy target. The Prime Minister has failed to listen to the scientists. Will he now listen to the leader of his own church, and abandon his attacks on the clean energy target?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call Senator Brandis, Senator Waters, it is not in order for you to refer to a senator's religion, so I am going to rule that portion of the question out of order, which did reflect on other parts of the question, and I will invite the minister to answer what parts of the question he wishes to.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think, Senator Waters, for you to reflect upon the religious beliefs of any member of this parliament, whether they be members of the government or they occupy any other office in this parliament, is disgusting.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There will be quiet on both sides—on both sides! Order!

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order, if I may, on relevance. I did not seek to refer to the Prime Minister's religious beliefs in a disparaging manner; I was merely asserting the facts and asking whether or not they will respond to Pope Francis's encyclical. I would like an answer to that question, please.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, under Odgers it clearly states that it has been held that it is not in order to refer to a senator's religion in debate—full stop. There is not a qualification to that, so you are not to refer to that. Now, Senator Waters, do you have a supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, just further on that point of order, President: I am happy to withdraw that part of the question. I did not realise it would be so controversial. What I am interested in is a response to the substantive part of the question, which is whether or not this government will now desist in its attacks on a clean energy target, on the basis of Pope Francis's encyclical.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, the primary question has been answered by the minister. You are now at a point where you can ask a supplementary question. Do you have a supplementary question, Senator Waters?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do, President, but—I do apologise—I really do not think there was a substantive answer from Senator Brandis.

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right!

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was confected outrage and a refusal to engage on the substance. I really would like an answer, if Senator Brandis can share his—

Government senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right! Senator Waters, Senator Brandis was invited to answer what part of the question he wished to answer, and, if you bear in mind that your question was out of order in the first instance, I think I was generous in allowing him to answer what part he wished to. You are now at the stage where you can ask a supplementary question, and I will invite the minister to answer that question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The Pope has said in that encyclical, which everybody is so up in arms about, that we cannot solve the climate crisis without addressing the interconnected problem of extreme poverty. Rising seas and more extreme drought will hit the world's poorest the hardest. Does this government still believe that coal is good for humanity? And would they be willing to repeat that directly to the nations of Tuvalu and Kiribati at the Paris negotiations?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, I believe that coal is very good for humanity indeed—and it is particularly good for this country because it is our cheapest source of energy. It enables people who would otherwise enjoy a much lower standard of living than they do to enjoy a higher standard of living than they do, through paying lower electricity prices. The government is of course aware that there has been a very active debate about climate policy going on around the world for years, if not decades, now. And His Holiness the Pope, as the leader of one of the world's largest faiths, is perfectly at liberty to contribute to that debate, and we will consider respectfully what His Holiness has had to say—as we will consider all points of view.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Thank you, Senator, for answering, in part, my first question. My further supplementary question is this. The Pope's encyclical said:

We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world …

Today, in this building, faith leaders representing Australia's Buddhist, Anglican, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Catholic communities have endorsed Pope Francis's call to action. Will the government set its global climate goals in accordance with science or continue to shirk our global responsibilities and continue to be an international climate pariah?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will tell you what we will be doing, Senator Waters: we will be setting our priorities and making our policy decisions in accordance with science and good public policy, not in accordance with theology.