Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I note that this motion is part of the deal that the Palmer United Party have made with the government to set up a joint select committee to establish an Australia fund, but what we have never been told is whether the backroom deal also includes a sum of money. I think it is important for the parliament to know how much money has been promised behind the scenes for this particular fund.

I also make the point that the Greens will not stand in the way of the establishment of this fund. We do not stand in the way of the establishment of committees, but in this case it is hypocrisy in the extreme that the Palmer United Party wants to have a fund set up for communities affected by natural disasters when extreme weather events fuelled by climate change are driving the natural disasters and it is the Palmer United Party that does not want to address the polluters and wants to now take the money out of the public purse.