Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to ask the proponent of this amendment: exactly what impact will this have on the changing climate of the world? I have listened to Senator Milne on and off this morning talking about how we should effectively stop decent transport for those of us who live in more remote parts of Australia and railing against, as I understand what she is saying, infrastructure on roads. That is very important to those people who live in country and rural Australia. But, if it is for a purpose, then perhaps that is something that should be considered. Bearing in mind that Australia exudes less than 1.4 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, unless we can get China, America, Japan, Russia and India to stop their greenhouse gas emissions what this amendment will do for the changing climate of the world is, to my way of thinking, problematic.

I have always said that Australia needs to show leadership. We certainly did that at the APEC convention and in other ways in the last three or four years. We set up the world’s first greenhouse office. We have demonstrated a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It seems to me that the thought behind this proposal of Senator Milne’s to make it difficult to service a country as vast as Australia might be fine if it were going to do something about the increase in droughts and cyclones, but I would just like Senator Milne to explain to me in fairly simple language how this is going to help stop the changing world climate.