Kym Richardson (Kingston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister update the House on action Australia is taking in the Asia-Pacific region to deal with climate change?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Kingston for his question and for his interest in what the government is doing in the Asia-Pacific region on climate change. In the first place, reflecting the depth of concern in this government about the problem, we have been one of the partners who have established the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, known as AP6. This brings into play in addressing the climate change issue countries like China, India, Korea, Japan and obviously us and the United States of America. I think it is enormously important if we are to address the issue of climate change to make sure that countries like China and India are involved in the whole process and are making a contribution to dealing with climate change. The AP6 initiative is a very important part of doing that.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Secondly—you would have to hear the interjections to believe them, honestly—which Pacific countries are in AP6?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler needs no encouragement.

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

China—they might exclude China—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They’re not part of Kyoto?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The United States is a Pacific country. Australia is a Pacific country. I think we include Japan.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the level of intellect we have to deal with from the opposition spokesman.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned!

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the Pacific island countries, there are quite clear initiatives that Australia has taken over many years. Honourable members opposite might be interested to note that for many years there has been a Bureau of Meteorology sea level and climate monitoring project. Thirty-two million dollars has been spent on this project, with 12 sea monitoring sites throughout the Pacific coupled with GPS and satellite monitoring. These gauges demonstrate that there is a history of considerable annual and regional variation in sea level in the Pacific but a trend towards the sea level rising. I understand that since 1993 the average increase in sea level in the Pacific islands region and at those 12 monitoring stations has been about eight millimetres per annum, so this is clearly an issue.

We have been helping the Pacific island countries with their priorities on climate change. We have helped to fund the Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change 2006-2015, which the opposition is not aware of. There are a number of very practical projects that we have been assisting with such as the Vulnerability and Adaptation Initiative; the dissemination of scientific information to government and private sectors through awareness programs, including through the media; building meteorological capacity through the Climate Prediction Project and training Pacific staff on climate prediction, including extreme events; and exploring the potential of renewable energy, particularly in more remote Pacific island countries. Indeed, some projects are getting up and going.

In conclusion, I make the point that the opposition continually, in a practice that we are all very familiar with, goes out and makes assertions against the government which are manifestly untrue—for example, that the government is doing nothing about climate change in the Pacific. I table for the interest of the House a list of a number of projects that are being funded by the government in the Pacific. If it ever came to who is struggling, it is the integrity of the opposition and how it addresses this issue. I would have thought that the member for Grayndler would place some premium on telling the truth, but he apparently does not.