Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

One day, if Senator Carr ever—and God help the Labor Party if it happens—becomes environment spokesperson, maybe he will go on a delegation to the UN FCCC. He will realise that, in saying that, he is denigrating and reducing the efforts—I am happy to put my efforts aside—of a very dedicated, highly respected Australian delegation who worked in all of the processes of the United Nations framework convention over a period of two weeks and achieved all of the outcomes we set out to achieve. The core one was to get a robust and timely review of the Kyoto protocol, working shoulder to shoulder with European and other friends who are trying to get a global and comprehensive agreement on climate change action.

It saddens me that I would extend an invitation to a Labor Party spokesman to attend as a member of the delegation and that you either do not talk to Mr Albanese or that, if you do speak to him, he would say one thing to me and another thing to you. But I do not think that is the case: I respect the role that Mr Albanese played on that delegation, and he would tell you that Australia played a significant role in all of the forums of the UN FCCC. To describe our role as that of an observer is absolutely inaccurate, fictitious and a deep insult to the dedicated—