Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) the tragic loss of life and devastating impacts of Tropical Cyclone Pam on schools, hospitals, homes, water supplies, crops, fertile lands and critical infrastructure in Vanuatu,

(ii) the initial $5 million pledged by the Government and encourages ongoing increased support and assistance as it is requested by our Pacific neighbours, and

(iii) That the President of Vanuatu, Mr Baldwin Lonsdale, has attributed the intensity of the damage wreaked by Cyclone Pam to global warming; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) heed and act on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th assessment report on extreme weather events as they are intensified by global warming, and

(ii) prepare updated disaster mitigation and response plans as the impacts of global warming worsen.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government stands firm in its support of our friends in the Pacific who have been impacted by Cyclone Pam. Australia has provided in excess of $8.5 million in initial emergency humanitarian assistance to deal with the crisis. This is in addition to the $60.4 million in development assistance we will provide to Vanuatu in 2014-15. The Australian government is acting decisively on climate change. The government is committed to reducing Australia's carbon emissions by five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020. This target is comparable with other advanced economies and that put forward by the opposition. In contrast to our colleagues opposite, we obviously did not support their mechanism for dealing with this matter.

Question agreed to.