Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources. Australia is the world's second biggest exporter of global emissions after Russia. Last week the International Court of Justice made it clear that Australia has international legal responsibility for its fossil fuel production, regardless of where the coal or gas is ultimately burned. Will the government stand up to coal and gas corporations and phase out these dangerous fossil fuels that are supercharging the climate crisis?

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question on this occasion. I refer to the member's question. I would just like to point out the importance of Australia's role in regional energy security. This is something that is perhaps not as well understood as it could be or even should be. Australia indeed does export gas, and it does export coal. It also exports iron ore. It exports gold. It exports lithium. It exports a great many things that are essential to our economy, and indeed the three greatest exports of this country are iron ore, coal and gas, which add to harbour prosperity and support regional communities, which people on this side of the chamber realise, as do those on the other side.

It will remain integral to the economy for many years to come, and it will remain very important to hundreds of thousands of families around this country, as the breadwinners and sometimes their partners go and participate in this industry, whether it be in fly-in, fly-out communities or drive-in, drive-out communities, right around the country. Really importantly, and the question around energy—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I need to be consistent with everyone. The minister is being directly relevant to the question. I know you're not happy with the answer, Member for Ryan, but you simply just can't have a situation where, 'I don't like the answer; I'm going to take a point of relevance.'

Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was about emissions. It was about scope 3 emissions and the effect—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Resume your seat.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to gas, it will remain a very important part of Australia's economy for some time to come. You would have seen—and everyone in this House would have seen—the Future gas strategy, which the government will pursue. It is an important part of our role in not only providing fuel and security to Australians and Australian industry but equally ensuring we play our role in helping to provide the energy security for the region.

I might add that countries in this region—Japan, Korea and many others—adopted net zero targets well before this country did, well before those opposite, when they were in government, eventually got there. Now, of course, they're trying to move back from that. Nonetheless, this government, on this side, is committed to net zero emissions, just like the government of Japan, the government of Korea and many others are. Our fuels that we export to those communities will be a really important part of their transition. Transition pathways are going to be different for every country. In Australia, we will be able to transition more quickly, because of the natural resources available to us through wind and solar. The vast spaces we have enable that. That is not the case for our friends in Japan and Korea, and countries like them, where they simply do not have those abundant renewable resources, so, in the meantime, we'll support them through our export industry, and that will be a really important part of Australia's participation in regional energy security.