Senate debates

Monday, 2 December 2019

Questions without Notice

Climate Change

2:19 pm

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Cormann, representing the Prime Minister. Minister, last week Australia's emissions data was released and it showed that pollution from coal, oil and gas is at record-high levels, and the only reduction that is coming is coming from livestock that has been slaughtered because of a climate driven drought. The carbon price was developed—you might remember the first female Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister Gillard. Remember working constructively with the Greens, working constructively with the crossbench—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! Order on my left! Senator Di Natale, please resume your seat. We'll stop the clock.

Opposition senators interjecting

Order on my left! We will waste time for non-government parties, if I can't continue question time. Senator Di Natale, please continue.

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

As I was saying, the carbon price was developed by the Gillard government with the Greens and the crossbench. That remarkable piece of public policy drove down emissions across the economy, with economic growth higher than you are presiding over today, Minister. So, Minister, why is the Liberal Party on a unity ticket with the Labor Party in refusing to introduce a price on carbon?

Honourable senators interjecting

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! I will call the minister when there is order.

Honourable senators interjecting

It is an uncommon situation for interjections to be flowing vertically through the table rather than horizontally, I might say. I will call the minister to answer when I can hear him. Senator Cormann.

2:21 pm

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

Let me say right upfront that I reject the final premise of the question. First of all, I don't share Senator Di Natale's optimism about a unity ticket between the coalition and the Labor Party when it comes to doing the right thing by the environment in a way that is economically responsible. The second point I would make is that, 10 years ago today, the Greens had a rare moment of insight when they decided to back our position, which is to protect the environment in a way that is economically responsible. The only party that has been consistent all the way through is actually the Liberal-National party. We have been consistent all the way through, over the last 10 years. We have consistently said we support effective action on climate change in a way that is economically responsible.

From Labor, we had the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Then we had the promise: 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.' Remember that? Then, of course, we got the carbon tax. We had the Greens supporting our position against the CPRS and then we had them supporting the carbon tax that was never meant to come, which was, of course, a great deceit against the Australian people. Let me tell you: we will continue to act consistently and in the best interests of the Australian people by meeting and exceeding our emissions reduction targets that were agreed to in Kyoto and, indeed, by implementing our plan to meet our emissions reduction targets agreed to in Paris. We will not be sending jobs and emissions overseas where, for the same level of economic outputs, emissions will actually be higher. It absolutely makes no sense to impose sacrifices on the Australian people that actually would make the situation worse when it comes to global emissions. Shifting the problem from Australia to other parts of the world where emissions will be higher for the same level of economic output might make sense in the minds of the Greens today, though it didn't 10 years ago. It doesn't make any sense at all to senators on the Liberal-National side.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a supplementary question?

2:23 pm

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

Pollution has been steadily rising since that wonderful carbon price that the Greens and Labor worked on constructively together was repealed. Right now we're on track for three degrees of warming—three degrees! And your own department says that emissions are going to rise out to 2030 because you've got no policy. Isn't the truth that the reason the government—and, indeed, the opposition—don't support a carbon price is that it's bad for your coal, oil and gas donors?

2:24 pm

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

I completely reject the proposition that we don't have a policy. I'm enjoying this lovers' tiff, I've got to say. We've got this lovers' tiff between Labor and the Greens going on, and they can't stop.

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting

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

If anybody is interested in the answer, I'm just happy—

Honourable senators interjecting

Get a room.

Senator Wong interjecting

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Order, Senator Wong.

Photo of Penny WongPenny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

I'm just making the point.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

There are other opportunities to make points.

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

In rejecting the assertion underpinning Senator Di Natale's question, let me say again that the only party in this place that, all the way through the last 10 years, has had a consistent policy position is the coalition. It's the Liberal and National parties that have consistently stood up for the public interest, consistently stood up for environmental protection in a way that is economically responsible.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Di Natale, a final supplementary question?

2:25 pm

Photo of Richard Di NataleRichard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

What do Melinda and Dean think of your policy? Melinda and Dean are outside. They've got the remains of their home on the front lawn of Parliament House, and they said:

Morrison, your climate crisis destroyed my home.

That's what they think of your climate policy. Why don't you listen to them, not your coal, oil and gas donors, and do what John Howard did in response to the Port Arthur massacre: reach across the aisle, reach across to the opposition and the crossbench and work on a policy that will bring down emissions?

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

I repeat again: Australia is actually on track to exceed our emissions reduction targets by 2020, agreed to in Kyoto, and we are committed and have a plan to meet our emissions reduction targets agreed to in Paris. We are taking action on climate change in a way that is economically responsible as we believe is our responsibility and as the Australian people endorsed at successive elections.