Senate debates

Tuesday, 11 February 2020

Motions

National Smart Energy Summit

3:42 pm

Photo of Malarndirri McCarthyMalarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

At the request of Senator McAllister, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the address of New South Wales Minister for Energy and Environment and Liberal Matt Kean MP on 10 December 2019 to the National Smart Energy Summit;

(b) endorses Minister Kean's:

  (i) acknowledgement that this summer's "…bushfires have been caused by extreme weather events, high temperatures, the worst drought in living memory – the exact type of events scientists have been warning us about for decades that would be caused by climate change",

  (ii) observation that "We cannot allow ideology and politics to get in the way of our clear path to secure our economic prosperity, let alone the health of our planet for generations of Australians", and

  (iii) statement that "... taking action to reduce our emissions today is not about a cost that we are morally obliged to pay, it's about taking an economic opportunity that we would be negligent to miss";

(c) concurs with Minister Kean that "renewables today are the cheapest form of new generation"; and

(d) calls on Prime Minister Morrison to listen to Minister Kean and experts across all fields and take strong action to address climate change.

Question agreed to.