Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Special Minister of State, Senator Cormann. Over 2,000 Australian businesses have registered at the website This is not business as usual, and that number is growing by the minute. These companies are supporting their employees in taking time off work to go and join tomorrow's worldwide climate strike to tell governments to stop pretending that everything's going to be okay. They're saying to all of us in this place that it's time to confront the frightening climate emergency that's unfolding. Minister, will you, as the minister responsible for the Public Service, guarantee that there will be no retribution or punishment against any Commonwealth public servant who leaves work to attend the strike?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, let me just firstly say that our government is committed to effective action on climate change. And, indeed, we have a plan. We are on track to meet and exceed our emissions reduction targets that were agreed to in Kyoto by 2020, and we have a plan to meet our emissions reduction target agreed to in Paris by 2030. The next point is that all of the public servants across the great world-class Australian Public Service know what their duties and responsibilities are, and I would encourage all of our outstanding public servants to conduct themselves appropriately, consistent with the rules.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Order. Senator Di Natale.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

I was on my feet before the minister had concluded. I have a point of order on relevance. I asked the minister a very specific question, and it was whether he would guarantee that there would be no retribution or punishment for Public Service workers.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

You had a preamble to you question. I think the minister was being directly relevant to elements that you stated in your preamble, but he has concluded his answer. You have a supplementary question now, Senator Di Natale.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Tens of thousands of school students, uni students, workers, employers, retirees, firefighters and farmers are joining together in 95 different regional centres and capital cities to demand three things: no new coal, oil and gas projects; 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030; and a just transition for fossil-fuel workers. Minister, will you support their demands?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, what people do in their private time and their free time is a matter for them. We are a great democratic nation, and I'm quite relaxed about the causes that people want to support. Personally, I'm not in favour of that particular proposition that you've put, because I think it wouldn't serve Australia well.

What I would say in relation to the students that you've just referenced, in particular, is that students should go to school. When school is sitting, students should go to school. That is what will prepare them to be the best possible contributors to their communities and our nation into the future.

Scott Ryan (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a final supplementary question?

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, Minister, students are fed up. They're fed up with inaction from your government. These are people who've had a gutful of governments who are in the pocket of a coal, oil and gas lobby and refuse to take action on climate change. Minister, my question to you is: how good are climate strikers? How good are they?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) | Link to this | Hansard source

I completely and utterly reject the offensive premise of the question. We are focused on one thing and one thing only, and that is Australia's public interest. We are focused on building a stronger economy and on protecting the environment in a way that is economically responsible, because we care about the opportunities for Australians today and into the future to get ahead. We care about that. As I said in my previous answer, I'm quite relaxed about what causes people want to pursue in their private time. That's a matter for them, but I think the position of the government is very clear.