Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise proudly to support the motion moved by the member for Griffith. As a member of the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, I know how critical this decade is. As the dad of two young boys, I know exactly who will live with the consequences if we fail to act.

We've accepted the independent advice of the Climate Change Authority and set a responsible, science-backed 2035 target to reduce emissions by 62 to 70 per cent below the 2005 levels. That is the right call, the call demanded by Australians who understand what is at stake, and who want us to seize the economic opportunities ahead of us.

Our government is grounded in reality. The national climate risk assessment spells it out. Climate change risks are cascading, compounded and concurrent. No community, not one, is immune. From heatwaves to coastal erosion, from bushfire threats to biodiversity loss, we are already seeing the impacts in Western Australia and across the country.

Treasury's modelling reinforces this message. If we delay, or we adopt a disorderly transition, our economy could be up to $2 trillion worse off by 2050. That's lower wages, higher power bills, fewer jobs—a profound failure to plan. The global shift to clean energy is the biggest economic transformation since the Industrial Revolution, and Australia is uniquely placed to win. We have the sun, the wind and the minerals to turn those natural advantages into prosperity. Our plan is to do exactly that.

I am a former electrician, so indulge me while I run through the technical numbers. Since May 2022 we've added over 18 gigawatts of wind and solar to the grid, a 45 per cent increase in capacity. That's enough to power six million homes. We've helped drive the installation of over 100,000 home batteries, helping households cut bills and strengthen our grid. We're backing renewables not only with storage but with firming capacity so that, when the wind drops or the sun sets, the supply keeps flowing and our families' bills don't spike. We are decarbonising transport with the first-ever New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. We're helping industry do the heavy lifting, including through the $5 billion Net Zero Fund and the strengthened Safeguard Mechanism. We are positioning Australia not just to reduce emissions but to export clean energy, clean technologies and clean jobs to the world. Crucially, we're adapting to existing climate impacts. That means investing in resilience, securing water supply, protecting critical infrastructure and supporting communities out on the front line.

This motion asks the opposition to join us, to leave the climate wars behind and to stop treating the future of our children like a factional football. It asks the opposition to recognise that leadership is not saying no loudly; it's building something better, because out in the real world—outside the echo chambers of the climate culture wars—Australians are getting on with it. In my electorate of Moore, we are blessed with natural environmental treasures: the Yellagonga wetlands, our magnificent coastline and the biodiversity of our local bushlands. The Friends of Yellagonga Regional Park dedicate countless volunteer hours to restoring our precious wetlands. Parents for Climate, including passionate advocates like Emma Coupland and Sonya Elek, organise locally because they understand that protecting the planet is about protecting our kids.

This motion does exactly what responsible parliamentarians should do: it listens to experts, aligns ambition with action and keeps Australia economically competitive. The alternative—we know it too well—is years of denial and delay and 23 energy policies from those opposite with zero actually delivered, and they're still talking about a $600 billion nuclear mirage. The Australian people rejected that approach at the last election. They want action now.

Climate change is the defining test of our generation. History will not forgive cowardice, nor will it reward complacency, but it will remember courage. It will remember those who chose to build, not block. For my boys and for the families of Moore and Griffith, and for families right across the country, we must get this right. I commend the motion.

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