Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

There are a few points here. Firstly, there is the oversimplification by the Australian Greens of the challenges the reef faces. I cited, in my previous answer, issues around water quality and issues around crown-of-thorns starfish. There are real issues in addition to the work to be done on climate change, and we continue to make sure that we tackle all of those issues as part of a comprehensive reef management plan that we have worked, despite political and other differences, with Queensland governments to fund, to implement and to deliver over a period of time.

When it comes to the work around emissions reduction, I again point to the fact that Australia, since 2005, has achieved a 16.6 per cent reduction in our emissions. New Zealand have reduced theirs over a similar period of time by one per cent. Canada has largely flatlined. The OECD average is around nine per cent, so when it comes to domestic emissions reduction Australia stands tall. (Time expired)