Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

What the Australian people want to learn through this information campaign has come through very loud and clear to us as a government, because we actually consult with people when we go to our community gatherings. When we talk with people, we get the understanding that all Australians are concerned about climate change and about the environment. What they want to know is not what all the Labor Party’s rhetoric might be, but how can they personally make a difference. That is why, for example, in the information that has gone out to households, we do not tell them that forestry, for example, is the only greenhouse positive sector of the economy. That is an important fact from my point of view, but the people of Australia want to know how they can best make a difference. That is what we are seeking to do in our interaction with the Australian people through this campaign. It is about giving Australians the information they have been seeking so that they can take action in their own homes.

Australian households are responsible for around 20 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, so action at this level, along with government and industry, can make a big impact. Of course what this builds on is the fact that Australia was the first government ever to establish a greenhouse office. It also develops our mandatory renewable energy targets, the phasing-out of inefficient light bulbs, our $200 million global initiatives on forests and climate, and the recent Sydney declaration, which achieved a genuine commitment from leaders within our region to move forward on climate change. We could have incorporated all of that information in the communications with our fellow Australians but they were not really interested in all of that. What they were interested in was how they could personally make a difference, and we have fulfilled that need by this particular communication.