Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) | Hansard source

ANTIC () (): Here we are again on groundhog day—more alarmist rhetoric from the Australian Greens, who choose to take up the Senate's time moving a motion straight from the mouth of the child prophet of their climate cult, Greta Thunberg. It's a motion so out of step with the global crisis in Europe. It's one that would destroy jobs, industries and livelihoods all across Australia, particularly in regional Australia. What is most concerning about this is we know that, if the election goes the way of Labor, there's more to come. We know that because this will be the ransom for the Greens to support the Labor government. Every bill, every motion and every vote will depend on the Greens' support.

Petrol prices have risen dramatically following the breakout of war in Ukraine, climbing from $1.60 per litre in December to over $2 in March 2022, and there doesn't appear to be any sign of it slowing anytime soon. Former US President Donald Trump was absolutely right to work towards making America energy-independent. He understood that relying on foreign powers, like Russia, China and the Middle East, was not a practical long-term option. These are nations that do not have our best interests or the best interests of the West at heart. Their values are not compatible with ours, and to remain dependent on energy in which they are involved is dangerous.

Here in Australia we're blessed with natural resources—oil, coal, gas and uranium. We have the resources to ensure Australia is less dependent on foreign powers. So why don't we do it? Because we're continuing to pander to nonsense like this. The Greens Left obsession with climate change is making this country weak. They've failed to grasp the importance of ensuring Australia's energy independence, ignoring the fact that drilling can actually be done safely and efficiently, and that it ensures that we don't remain precariously dependent on other nations for our energy security. These are the same Australian Greens who have so little regard for this country that they stand on a defence policy platform which seeks to reduce our defence spending. It's a platform which seeks to slash defence spending at a time when the prospects of conflict are rising every single day.

Listen to this, Senator Thorpe; you'll learn something. This is a policy platform which seeks global cooperation facilitated by peaceful, non-violent conflict. This is true. It's straight from their website. It says:

Nonviolent conflict resolution is the most effective way of promoting peace.

Those are two fairly realistic prospects, right there. I can just see it: if the Labor Party make government, they'll make Adam Bandt the foreign minister. They'll send him off with his little hemp bag, and he'll sit down with Putin and Xi and they'll talk about peaceful solutions. It's hilarious.

When an unexpected crisis comes up, like Russia's invasion of Ukraine, pressure is brought to bear on the international energy market, and it's Australian families who end up spending more on petrol and who endure the tremendous financial strain. That's a matter that's lost on our friends across the chamber. That means Australians have less to spend on their groceries and on their lifestyle, and it causes the economy to lag. This is because, frankly, too many in this place and too many in the community aren't prepared to stand up to the petulant Left. This is a movement which has been telling us for the past 50 years that we're going to get a mass extinction episode in the next decade, one after the other. The Greens would rather have us dependent on China, Russia and the Middle East than energy independent.

Despite the Norwegian company Equinor having, sadly, been forced to pull out of drilling in the Great Australian Bight, there will be others that will seek to do so, and we should be ensuring that we allow every possible opportunity for them to do so. Rather than shamefully celebrating the bullying of these projects out of town, these green Left activists should put down the French champagne, turn off the Tesla and stand up for Aussie jobs. What's important is that the Australian government continue to ignore the voices of the radical Left and encourage companies to explore and drill the bight, which could still be, if we make it so, Australia's North Sea. Let's be clear. I'm happy to call for drilling in the Great Australian Bight. It should be explored, drilled and used safely for the greater Australian good, not left on the shelf to aid and abet phoney crony capitalists and the interests of our strategic foes like the Chinese Communist Party. Australians need to reject the false prophets of green politics.

The same applies, by the way, to nuclear power. If the climate catastrophists are so concerned with carbon emissions, why not utilise a form of energy that produces zero emissions and is energy efficient as a way of generating power? The science tells us it's safe. Remember the science? Could it be that following the science is simply a rhetorical sleight of hand to bully others into not questioning their ideology? We have to make the most of those opportunities that living in this country affords us and be prepared for crises like what's happening in the Ukraine as they arise. We're blessed to live in this country. Its natural resources are plentiful. Yet we continue to ignore what's available on our doorstep to appease the climate cultists.

Like Australia, the US is languishing under increased fuel prices, due mainly to its energy dependence under President Biden, who could have kept alive the Keystone XL pipeline project, which would have seen almost a million barrels of oil carried from Canada to Nebraska in one single day. Construction of the pipeline had been revived by President Trump after being cancelled by Obama, only for it to be cancelled by Biden again. Look what's happened. As usual, this kowtowing to the green Left leaves the West and countries like the United States in a far more vulnerable position, for the non-existent greater good of fighting climate change, while they continue to completely ignore countries like China and India, which pollute far more than any Western country.

How often is the extreme Left going to beat the drum of climate action in this country? No emissions reductions will ever satisfy them, because, if they admit that there's nothing more to talk about and that Australia's doing its fair share, their political relevance drops away. This country has in fact, as we have said so many times in this chamber before, both met and beaten its 2020 targets. Emissions are 20 per cent below 2005 levels, which was the baseline for the Paris Agreement, and emissions have fallen faster than in many comparable advanced economies, outpacing reductions in the United States. The latest projections show Australia is on track to reduce emissions by 35 per cent by 2030. Yet it's still not enough. It will never be enough. It's as if green activists are actually interested not in the environment but just in their job-destroying ideology.

The invasion of Ukraine has meant that Western nations are thoroughly distancing themselves from Russia, which has meant that a large portion of our oil must be sourced either from elsewhere or from inside our own borders. China has been spouting concerning rhetoric regarding Taiwan for some time now, and the day may soon arrive when there is an attempt at invasion. We have to ensure that we're self-reliant. We have to ensure that we're not dependent on other countries whose values do not align with our own. It's time to stop pandering to the ideological Left. There's no good reason for Australia not to be far more energy independent. If we are to prioritise our long-term national security, not to mention our economy and the wellbeing of the Australian family, there's really no other option. So I say: let's start drilling the bight.