Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. I refer to reports that in his capacity as full-time COP president and an energy minister working part-time he has signed Australia up to a statement which would phase out the import, export and usage of gas. Is this government policy? Or is this the first of many examples where what the minister says when he works part-time on Australia's energy grid is in direct contradiction with what he decides as full-time COP president?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very grateful to the Leader of the Opposition for the question. The Leader of the Opposition asked it in two parts, and I'll answer in two parts. Firstly, she referred to the declaration on transition away from fossil fuels, and she asked if that is government policy. Yes, it is—and it has been since 10 November 2023, when Australia agreed with the Pacific on that exact language, at the Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting, that actually what would be a good thing for the world and for our country would be for more and cheaper renewable energy to increasingly replace fossil fuels, which are more expensive and less reliable. So, that is not a revelation. The declaration says we're for 'a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels'. Are you against the 'just' part, the 'orderly' part, the 'equitable' part, or the 'transition' part? I'm not sure—all the above? The Leader of the Opposition then went on to repeat her false allegation, which she has done now on multiple occasions, that somehow the office of president of the COP negotiations is full time.

Let me put it in the clearest possible way: the Leader of the Opposition is either deliberately or not deliberately misleading the House, because it is not true—has never been true. The office of the—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The manager will state his point of order.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member knows he can't make that allegation of 'deliberately misleading' and he needs to withdraw it.

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

He was asking a question. He didn't say that she was misleading the opposition. But I want to deal with this. Language, trust me, is very important here. If the minister can stray away from making any reflection on members. I know he did it in a 'question type' way, but even that's close to the wind. So the manager is correct.

Order! Member for Gippsland, running commentary, you won't be here much more to give it. Don't look at your watch! So I just caution the minister. Back to the question.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition asked me about 'full time' and 'part time' and I'm more than happy to deal with that, because the position of COP president for the last 10 COPs has been held by a cabinet member continuing in that role. That's the way the position is designed: last year, it was Minister Babayev, the minister for the environment of Azerbaijan; the year before that, Minister Al Jaber, the minister of industry; before that, Minister Shoukry, the minister for foreign affairs of Egypt; before that Minister Schmidt, the minister for the environment of Chile; before that, Minister Kurtyka, the minister of climate change of Poland; before that, Prime Minister Bainimarama of Fiji was the COP president while he was prime minister; before that, Minister Mezouar, the minister for foreign affairs of Morocco; before that, Minister Fabius, the foreign affairs minister of France—all cabinet ministers who were COP presidents.

What cultural credence says that somehow they can all do it, but Australia can't? What we want is more influence for our country; they want less. They want less influence for Australia. How unpatriotic can you be? Why don't you want your country to have a bigger role in the world? Why are you so anti-Australian? Why can't you be proud that your country can play a leading role in international negotiations? This is a leader of the opposition who is so enthralled with 'Sky after dark' that she can't even know an international role when she sees one. (Time expired)

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

I'm going to ask everyone to show a little more restraint. There was far too much energy during that answer and question, so if the House can settle, we will hear from the member for Griffith.