Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question without notice is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. I ask why, having snubbed the Senate last week on a question about the announcement of mid-term emissions trading targets, the minister announced at 4.22 pm on Friday that she would be announcing that target the day after she returns from Poznan. I also ask the minister: on the business of pursuing a global agreement to stabilise emissions, will the Australian government’s position going to Poznan be 350 parts per million carbon dioxide equivalent in the atmosphere, which is safe; a dangerous 450 parts per million; or a known catastrophic potential of 550 parts per million?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Brown for the question. In relation to the first aspect of the question, Senator Brown asked me, I think on Thursday, about when the government would be announcing its mid-term targets. I indicated to him that we would be announcing those very soon, and we did so announce the following day. That was the government’s announcement. Just to be clear about what the government was announcing: the government was giving two weeks notice of its intention to make an announcement on 15 December, which will be an announcement of both the white paper and the medium-term target range. So we have put that out very clearly and given people two weeks notice of what will be a very substantial government announcement.

The second aspect of the question relates to a global parts-per-million goal. Senator Brown has asked me similar questions on previous occasions, and I think on previous occasions I have reiterated the fact that a parts-per-million atmospheric goal is essentially a goal that must be signed up to or delivered by all nations of the globe and that how these targets, these goals, are to be communicated and set is precisely one of the issues that will be the subject of negotiations in Poznan and over the period leading up to Copenhagen.

In relation to burden sharing, which is often an aspect of Senator Brown’s questions in this context, again I reiterate that any global goal also will require a negotiation in relation to burden sharing, as outlined in the Bali roadmap. (Time expired)

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Exactly as the minister says, the world is seeking at Poznan to establish a stabilisation of emissions which is globally accepted. I ask: is the Australian government’s position 350 parts per million carbon dioxide equivalent, which is safe; 450 parts per million, which is at best dangerously unknown in its outcome; or 550 parts per million, which even Professor Garnaut said will lose us the Barrier Reef, the winter snow on the Alps and much of the productivity of the Murray-Darling Basin, Ningaloo et cetera? What is the government’s position, if it is going to have leadership on this matter, going to Poznan, and will the minister rule out the 550-parts-per-million option? (Time expired)

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government’s position, as articulated prior to the election, is that we are committed to a 60 per cent reduction by 2050. The parts-per-million goals that Senator Brown describes are, of themselves, one of the ways in which a global goal could be articulated. It is not the only way, Senator Brown, and, as you know, there have been different formulations floated in different international contexts. These are all issues that are to be negotiated in the lead-up to Copenhagen, which includes the negotiations in Poznan next year.

What we can talk about very clearly is the election commitment that we made prior to the election, which we remain committed to, which is a 60 per cent reduction by 2050. As I made clear in my previous answer, the Australian government will announce a mid-term target range on 15 December, along with the announcement of the white paper. (Time expired)

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. That is an extraordinary position—the minister is going to go to a global conference in which other countries, including the EU, have announced their targets, and she is going to not tell the conference and then fly home and announce it when she gets back here.

Part of the aim of the Poznan conference is also to reduce emissions from deforestation. I ask the minister: in Australia, where deforestation—logging and burning of forests and woodlands—creates 17 to 20 per cent of the gross national pollution of the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, what is the minister’s proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from that extraordinarily polluting sector at Poznan?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I make a few points very briefly. The first is that few other countries will be bringing binding target commitments to Poznan, and Senator Brown, I think, knows that.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to also make the point, if I can—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Resume your seat, Senator Wong. There are too many interjections on my left.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I make the point, if I can, that there is one political party in this chamber which has no political commitment to targets of any sort, and that is the opposition. We are very clear about which political party in this place—

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bob Brown interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, if you are going to point at me—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

which political party in this place is committed to climate change—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, resume your seat. Senator Wong, you should address your comments to the chair. Order on my left! You have 26 seconds in which to complete the answer.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to deforestation, I would ask you to note, Mr President, that it does seem to be a different topic in the third supplementary, but I am happy to address it—

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bob Brown interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am wondering if Senator Brown wants a response to his question or if he just wants to ask more questions while I am answering it.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, continue with your answer.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we have previously indicated, we are committed to action on deforestation. We have a $200 million commitment— (Time expired)