Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you again, Senator Sterle. Of course there are long-term natural impacts that come with not addressing climate change. I see them almost every day in my role as Minister for Emergency Management. In fact, I was recently in the Gulf of Carpentaria after the floods there. There were more media reports this morning suggesting that early estimates from gulf flooding are that tens of thousands of head of cattle could have perished. These are the events we will see more often if we don't take action on climate change.

It's not just those economic and environmental impacts that farmers face as a result of climate change. It is crucial to our position as a trusted trading partner around the globe that we continue to increase our sustainability effort. Who could forget those embarrassing images of former prime minister Scott Morrison giving an empty speech to an empty room at COP26 in Glasgow? Anyone who knows anything about agriculture and trade knows that we need to take more action on climate change to shore up those international markets, and I'm surprised the National Party doesn't get it. (Time expired)