Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I'm not sure how to explain it, other than to say it means net zero. I understand that the senator—it's one of those situations. I will think through if I can provide an explanation that makes it clearer than that, but to me the words 'net zero' are quite clear. I think we all understand what 'net emissions' means. I am reminded of a time when I was climate minister and I think Senator Fielding wanted an explanation, and I got in the Chief Scientist to try and take him through it, and we did get to a point where I thought, 'I don't actually know'—and neither did she at that time—'how to break it down any further.' But I will have a think about that. I think it's a commonly understood objective, and it's an objective, as the senator knows, that is shared by those opposite, I thought—maybe not.

Well, obviously not by Senator Canavan. I know that. But the coalition, I thought, broadly had agreed to net-zero emissions by 2050. Maybe Senator Canavan is indicating a change of policy under the coalition, under Mr Dutton. Obviously, I think it's 84 per cent—I could be wrong—of Australia's export markets have already signed up to the same target. It was discussed at the G20, so there's broad global agreement about the need to—