Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations, Mr Deputy Speaker, on your election to your important office. I want to acknowledge the climate angels who descended on Parliament House this morning, resplendent as they were in white flowing robes, wings and halos. They did have a few security issues, but nevertheless it was significant that women such as Liz Conor and Deborah Hart were prepared to come to Canberra to express their concern about the need for stewardship on the part of this nation in reducing our carbon emissions and handing on to the next generations a world that is fit for purpose, not one that is beset by extreme and severe weather events such as floods, cyclones, bushfires and droughts. They expressed concern about the actions of this government in abolishing the Climate Commission, in not even sending a minister to represent us in international climate change negotiations in Warsaw and in defunding the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. I commend them on their efforts to draw the attention of the parliament and the country to the need for resolute action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and to be responsible international citizens.