Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the amendment that we intend to move adds the words at the end of the motion:

… but the Senate:

(a) notes the advocacy of Pacific leaders that the greatest threat to the wellbeing of the region is the threat of runaway global heating caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas; and

(b) resolves that Australia must:

(i) not open up any new coal mines or gas fields; and

(ii) remove the billions of dollars spent each year subsidising the exploration, extraction and burning of fossil fuels".

The reason this amendment is critical is that it beggars belief that our Prime Minister is going to fly into the Pacific Islands Forum this week and attempt to convince Pacific island leaders—some of whom are facing an existential threat to the survival of their nation-states due to sea level rise and the risk that their countries are going to disappear off the face of the earth and under the waves of the Pacific—that publicly subsidising the burning of fossil fuels at the same time that our climate is breaking down around us is actually a good idea and something that should be supported by them. As I said, what's going to happen is that Australia and Mr Albanese will, I have no doubt, ensure that the communique is watered down and that any mention of ending the approvals of new coal mines or gas fields is either removed or so watered down as to be meaningless.

I know that the Pacific engagement visa, which is one of the visas that this bill relates to, has been promoted by the government here in Australia, including by Foreign Minister Wong, as part of our engagement with what they describe as our Pacific friends. They are our Pacific friends, but, if we wanted to really be friends to the Pacific nations, we would stop approving new coal and gas mines in Australia. If we really wanted to be friends to our Pacific neighbours, we would stop spending billions of dollars a year encouraging the burning of fossil fuels in this country. That's what a real, true friend to Pacific island nations would do.

But we're not going to do that, because, when push comes to shove, Australia is a better friend to the greedy, ecocidal fossil fuel corporations than it is to our so-called friends in the South Pacific. We are better friends to the psychopaths running those fossil fuel corporations than we are to our neighbours in the South Pacific. That is the fundamental and sad truth that we have to accept. When you've been in this place for long enough and have listened to and watched what happens in this place closely enough, there can be no argument that that is the case. It is undoubtedly the case that big corporations effectively run this parliament, because the major parties—the Labor, Liberal and National parties—are too craven and too cowardly to stand up to them. That's the problem that we are facing, and that is a problem that won't be solved by this legislation.

Acting Deputy President Hughes, I listened to Senator Scarr's point of order, and I'm sure you'll take that matter on advisement. Notwithstanding that, I move the second reading amendment which has been circulated in my name:

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes the advocacy of Pacific leaders that the greatest threat to the wellbeing of the region is the threat of runaway global heating caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas; and

(b) resolves that Australia must:

(i) not open up any new coal mines or gas fields; and

(ii) remove the billions of dollars spent each year subsidising the exploration, extraction and burning of fossil fuels".

I assure Senator Scarr that there'll be an opportunity for the matters he raised to be considered, because I won't be putting this to a vote tonight. I'll ensure that that doesn't happen, because I do respect the point that he made, even though my firm view is that it will be ruled in order. But time will tell, Senator Scarr.

I want to say, as I draw this contribution towards a conclusion, that the matters I've raised here are obviously extremely serious. They are matters of existential survival for some of the nation-states in the Pacific. The Greens did support the Pacific engagement visa legislation, and I want to place on the record that we will be supporting this legislation before the Senate as well, because we do believe that we need to do more to assist our neighbours to come here and receive support here and to encourage them to build lives here. But we need to do much more than that if we're to be true friends to them in the Pacific island region.