Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I'm afraid the honourable member's question underlines just how much they don't understand the international conversation about dealing with developing countries and the impact of climate change, and just how willing they are to play cheap and pathetic politics on this issue. At the COP27 last week, every country in the world, every COP party, came together for this agreement. According to the Leader of the Opposition, he would have stood away with his arms folded and said, 'We're not in; we're not having this conversation.' On this side of the House, we believe that actually interacting with Pacific countries in particular about the impact of climate change on them is central to our agenda.

There have been some mistruths told by those opposite. Let's just run through them. They talk about China. Let's just call it for what it is. In fact, the agreement reflected in the cover text of the COP meeting says that this arrangement will be for the 'particularly vulnerable' countries. China is not one of those. Every country is vulnerable to climate change, but the most vulnerable are Kiribati, Vanuatu and Fiji. They are the countries that we deal with, and we are proud to deal with. The Leader of the Opposition thinks that the impacts of climate change on Pacific islands are just part of his comedy routine. It's not a very good comedy routine, but it's all he's got.

We on this side of the chamber actually believe interaction with the developing countries of the Pacific is central to our agenda, and I'm proud of that arrangement. I'm proud of the work we did together in Egypt, working with the prime ministers and climate change ministers of the Pacific. I'm proud of that. I don't run away from that. On this side of the House, we're proud of that too. Those opposite can take a different approach if they wish. They can hold the Pacific islands off to one side and say, 'Talk to the hand; we're not interested.'

The other myth perpetrated by those opposite is that somehow Australia—

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