Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection, Senator Bernardi. He says, ‘Hear, hear!’ because these are people who just cannot let go of their scepticism on climate change and you are why the coalition has absolutely no credibility on climate change. Because you do not believe it is happening. So why do you not front up to the Australian people and say that what you took the last election was only because you thought you had to pretend to care, which is what one of your colleagues said—that you had to pretend to care about climate change. That was the only reason you moved before the election. I return to Senator Bernardi, who said just one year ago:

I have come to believe we’re seeing a distortion of a whole area of science that is being manipulated to present a certain point of view to the global public, that is that the actions of man—.

clearly, only men—

are the cause of climate change.

Perhaps it would be a good time now for Senator Bernardi to admit and recognise that an important part of helping the Murray is to tackle climate change.

I want to make a comment about the submission that those on that side clamoured long and loud to see, because before the submission was released the opposition were demanding to see it, and now it has been released they cannot face the facts. They have gone to ground. They have ducked for cover. If you consider yourselves to be the alternative government, it is not that easy. You have the facts now. Why do you not take some responsibility, Senator Bernardi? Why do you not take some responsibility? You made all that hot air and noise about releasing the submission and, once you got the information, where were you? You ducked for cover.