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

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Cormann. Minister, last week the Prime Minister tried to mislead the Australian people by claiming there's no direct link between Australia's record high emissions and our increasing fire risk. Minister, we're the third-biggest exporter of emissions from coal, oil and gas in the world, and ABC's Fact Check showed Australia's contribution at 4.4 per cent of the world's pollution, which is almost three times the figure cited by the Prime Minister. That's despite the fact that we're only 0.3 per cent of the population, by the way. Minister, will the Prime Minister apologise for misleading the Australian community and admit that Australia's pollution, both here and overseas, has a direct impact on the climate crisis and the increasing risk of bushfires?

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

I reject the premise of the question.

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

Senator Di Natale, a supplementary question?

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

Well, there you go—that sounds like someone's running scared.

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Di Natale, you knew the reaction you'd get. We do not need editorialising during questions. There's an opportunity for debate after question time.

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

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dismissed the Prime Minister's assertion that Australia has no real impact on climate change because of our emissions profile. He said, 'By that logic, an individual Australian shouldn't pay any tax because it makes no difference to the bottom line.' Minister, Malcolm Turnbull is right, isn't he? Will Mr Morrison finally accept that we need to start pulling our weight when it comes to the climate crisis?

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

We are 'pulling our weight', to use the senator's form of words. Our government is committed to effective action on climate change. But we're pursuing effective action on climate change in a way that is economically responsible, which is precisely what the Australian people expect us to do.

As I'm on my feet, let me reflect on the fact that we are approaching the 10-year anniversary of the temporary coalition between the Liberal and National parties and the Greens. It's the 10-year anniversary of the Greens having joined with us to ensure that Labor's disastrous Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, which would have harmed our economy while leaving the environment worse off, was defeated. So the Greens have a proud track record in defeating government efforts along the lines that they now seem to be advocating for. We don't need to take any lectures from the Australian Greens. They're just playing politics— (Time expired)

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

Senator Di Natale, a final supplementary question?

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

Minister, Mr Turnbull also said that subsidising coal 'is as crazy as it gets'. Given the link between coal and our climate crisis and bushfires, Minister, will you rule out any further subsidies for coal-fired power?

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

We live in a great democracy, and every individual Australian is entitled to express his or her view. In relation to climate change, let me make the point again: our government is committed to effective action on climate change in a way that is economically responsible. Let me also make clear that Australian coal will continue to play an important role when it comes to the supply of energy here in Australia.

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

Senator Di Natale, on a point of order?

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

It's on relevance. The question was very, very tight: will you rule out any further subsidies for coal?

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

That was the second part of your question. It had a preamble, Senator Di Natale. I consider the minister as being directly relevant to part of the question asked.

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

I reject the premise of the question. Let me again say that our government is committed to effective action on climate change in a way that is economically responsible. But let me also reassure Senator Di Natale, in case he is concerned, that we on this side of the chamber recognise that coal will continue to play an important role when it comes to the supply of reliable and affordable energy across Australia and other parts of the world.