House debates Questions without Notice
United Nations Climate Change Conference
Chris Bowen McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
2:28 pm
The coalition does not support climate action domestically or abroad, and they show utter contempt for the Pacific. They show utter contempt and arrogance for the Pacific. The member for Hume called pre-COP 'boring'. Tell that to Melelusi, a year 8 student at Tuvalu who spoke to the Prime Minister and me and ministers and prime ministers and presidents about what's at stake for her and her future and her country. Tell that to the minister for climate change of Tuvalu, who is in the building today, who has said the visit to Tuvalu was important in showing what is at stake for their country as Australia is working with them to deal with land reclamation. The member for Wannon and the member for Hume have shown utter contempt, as well as the Leader of the National Party, who criticised the Prime Minister and me for going to Fiji and wearing what we were asked to wear by the Fijian government and called them Hawaiian shirts. Fiji is not Hawaii. They are different countries.
We will work with the people of the Pacific. We honour and respect our Pacific family and those from Samoa who we welcome to the chamber. We welcomed the President of Palau earlier this week, and we welcome the minister for climate change of Tuvalu. We don't joke about climate change in the Pacific. We don't crack jokes about rising sea levels. We work with our Pacific family, and you should be ashamed of yourselves. (Time expired)
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