George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, happy new year to you. It is an important issue that you raise, Senator Wong, and of course the position of Mr Turnbull and of all ministers in the Turnbull government is the position of the government. There has been, Senator Wong, as you know, over a period of years very vigorous debate in this country about climate change policy. You know very well because you have been one of the most important participants in that debate in opposition and in government.

It is no secret that both the Australian Labor Party and the government have varied their views over the years, and that is the case in relation to Mr Turnbull. The position Mr Turnbull took in 2009 is not the position that the government takes now. That is unremarkable, but I can assure you, Senator Wong, that where Australia has landed on the question of climate policy is precisely where we ought to be. We have embraced and we took to the climate change conference in Paris the most ambitious per capita emissions reduction targets of any nation in the OECD. We were able to do that because the vigorous discussion we had within the coalition over the years has produced a set of policies that are effective. They are not ideological, but they are effective, and we are proud of them.