Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

The government is in fact very concerned about the affordability of food and groceries. Indeed, in the October budget fruit and vegetable prices were estimated to be eight per cent higher than what they would otherwise have been. It was a consequence of the flooding events at the time. The truth is that climate change is resulting in increased frequency and severity of severe weather events—drought, flooding, fire and storms. These events do disrupt supply chains, impact productivity and increase insurance costs for business and consumers. I raise this because it's an example of the mistaken analysis of looking at only one variable in the costs that are affecting Australian consumers. We are going through a period of change in what's expected from the investment community, in our global market, in our global supply chains and, frankly, in the operating environment, particularly for Australian farmers. We understand and major agricultural producers understand that the transition towards net zero is extremely important because it impacts, more than most sectors, the ongoing capacity of the agricultural sector to produce food and fibre.