Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I withdraw. This government's misrepresentations about disruptions to power supply in South Australia in the wake of storms, its refusal to endorse wind and solar, its directing of funds away from wind and solar, and its dream of new coal-fired power plants say everything about this government's wrong priorities and lack of consideration for future generations and serve as a reminder of this Prime Minister's complete abandonment of his values and principles. The Australian people are now asking, 'What does this Prime Minister stand for?' He used to be the most forceful and eloquent advocate for action on climate change, for carbon pricing and for renewable energy. He is now the wilting flower of the parliament when it comes to action on climate change. He was once known as a conviction politician. It is now crystal clear that this Prime Minister stands for nothing except whatever will placate the radical right wing of his party and ensure that he keeps his job for a little longer.

Climate change is impacting our lives and our economy just as climate scientists have been warning. The fire season is extending. Extreme weather events are getting more and more frequent. The Great Barrier Reef is dying. In recent years we have seen the frequency of some of these events increasing. For these reasons, there is a desperate need for a clear plan, leadership and action, now more than ever. Labor have that plan. Labor will take action on climate change because we have listened to the experts. We take their warnings seriously. We will institute an emissions trading scheme. We will institute new vehicle emissions standards. We will institute a separate baseline-and-credit ETS for the electricity system. We will undertake an electricity market modernisation review. We will ensure that carbon is captured on the land and put a trigger in the federal legislation. That is a plan for real action on climate change.

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