Malcolm Roberts Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
2:27 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister, and is regarding the United Nations Conference of the Parties, COP29. Minister, COP29 marks 29 years of climate action. After 29 years, it must be starting to work. As a result of the measures implemented via COP agreements, how much have world temperatures been reduced?
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management
2:28 pm
McALLISTER (—) (): We should acknowledge that, in asking this question, Senator Roberts of course starts from the premise that climate change is not real, is not caused by humans and is not a problem that requires us to deal with it in any way. These are the positions he has put repeatedly—
Sue Lines President
Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Senator Roberts, please go ahead.
Malcolm Roberts Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
I don't need a dissertation on myself; I'm asking about temperatures.
Sue Lines President
Thank you, Senator Roberts. I'll listen to the minister's answers, but she has been answering your question.
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management
As I was saying, the starting point for Senator Roberts's question, as he has made very clear over his long period in this place, is that he does not believe in the science of climate change, he does not believe that that science has been demonstrated and he does not believe that there needs to be—
Sue Lines President
Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Senator Hanson.
Pauline Hanson Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
I question Senator McAllister's response—
Pauline Hanson Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
Yes, it is a point of order. She's repudiating Senator Roberts's character in her response—
Sue Lines President
Senator Hanson, that is a debating point. Please resume your seat.
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management
It's passing strange to be asked about the effectiveness of climate action because I don't believe that Senator Roberts actually wishes it to be successful.
However, I will say this. At COP28, the information that delegates received was that the projections had been for a four-degree increase in temperature and that that had been reduced to three degrees based on the actions that had been taken by states to date. Three-degree average global warming is actually a very troubling number. It offers very disturbing consequences for many Australians, including Australians in your home state, Senator Roberts. There is a heatwave warning in place today for the peninsula region of Queensland, and there are flooding warnings in Queensland. All of the advice before us suggests that the extreme weather events that Queenslanders are exposed to are only going to increase as a consequence of a warming climate.
It is in Australia's interests for there to be effective global action to contain warming. That's why we are— (Time expired)
Malcolm Roberts Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
2:31 pm
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management
As I think the senator will know from when previous questions of this kind have been asked at estimates, the complete costs associated with travel to events such as these, multilateral forums, generally are not available until sometime after the travel has been completed.
Malcolm Roberts Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party
2:32 pm
The communique from COP29, released overnight, announced that developed nations will ramp up annual payments to be paying $300 billion annually by 2035, supposedly to meet the costs of transitioning developing nations, including India, with payment being a combination of public and private money, loans and grants. Media reports suggest Australia's share is $8 billion. I don't see a government statement to that effect. Minister, how much taxpayer money will be sent overseas as grants to discharge our obligation under the agreement made at COP29?
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management
Australia does welcome the outcome at COP29, in Baku, to agree a new finance goal to support developing countries. This goal was incredibly hard fought. It is not everything that everyone wanted. In fact, people wanted a range of outcomes, and there was, as there always is in such forums, a compromise. But it is an important step to support emissions reduction and development goals around the world.
We are proud be to be back as a constructive actor on the world stage. It safeguards our national security. Our goal is to accelerate our transformation—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Hon. Senators:
Honourable senators interjecting—
Sue Lines President
Order! Minister McAllister, please resume your seat. Order! Order!
Senator Canavan, I've called order three times. I've called you to order, and you've completely ignored me. Your interjections have completely drowned out the minister. Listen in silence, or I invite you to leave the chamber. Minister McAllister, please continue.
Jenny McAllister NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management
As I've frequently said to Senator Roberts and others in this chamber, it is in our interests as a nation for there to be effective action to limit global warming. I will say we are now cleaning up the mess left that was left by 10 years of the Liberals and Nationals making a mockery of our— (Time expired)