Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

For years, we have been gearing up for a long-overdue reform of Australia's environmental laws—a reform that should reflect the urgency of the climate crisis. Yet this government has proposed a profoundly disappointing set of so-called reforms. These proposed laws are weaker than the ones that we already have and risk taking us backwards. Many in our community would find it appalling that this government continues to prioritise corporations over our environment. Labor's decision to greenlight the North West Shelf gas extension to 2070 makes it crystal clear that this government refuses to confront the long-term consequences of its choices. These new laws won't stop new coal or gas projects. The government is failing to stop the source of the climate destabilisation and it is failing to chart a clear and credible pathway for transition.

Just last month, I attended the release of a groundbreaking report showing just how Western Australia can reduce its emissions and manage energy demands across major industries—a science based pathway to align WA with the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees target. But this wasn't commissioned by government. No, it came from Greenpeace and the environmental sector. The people are doing the work which our governments should be leading. Instead, both WA and federal Labor continue to pander to fossil fuel giants, ignoring the economic and environmental realities that are right before our eyes.

This is not a time for denial. It is a time for strategic, bold action, a time for a transition to a cleaner economy—one that is fairer for people and puts the planet first. For those who still believe that Australia is a negligible contributor to this problem, let me say this: Australia is one of the world's biggest gas exporters. Our per person greenhouse gas emissions are amongst the highest on planet Earth. Our fossil fuel exports have already pumped 30 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere since the 1960s, and we are on track to add another 15 billion over the next decade.

So no, Australia is not a small player. We are a major polluter, and the government's refusal to act isn't just an environmental failure. It is a moral failure. We need environmental laws that truly protect our environment, our native forests, our critical habitats and our climate because protecting our environment is protecting our future. (Time expired.)

Question agreed to.