Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, with your indulgence, I also acknowledge the delegation from South Korea and say I enjoyed my chat with them the other day and their interest in climate change and climate policy.

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Minister Watt. Minister, new research published in the journal Nature, 'Emerging evidence of abrupt changes in the Antarctic environment', on Thursday 21 August has shown that Antarctica is at risk of abrupt and potentially irreversible changes to the continent's ice, ocean and ecosystems, which will have profound implications for Australia and the planet unless urgent action is taken to curb global greenhouse gas emissions. Minister, have you read this new report, and do you acknowledge the very worrying changes this new research highlights?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Whish-Wilson. I am aware of those reports and I saw them reported, I think, last week. I think all Australians, I would hope, would be very concerned about those developments when it comes to the Antarctic. We are seeing very worrying signs about the impact of climate change on Antarctica as we are seeing similar signs evidenced on the environment generally in Australia and the world as a whole. I'm sure Senator Whish-Wilson, as a Tasmanian senator, is well aware of the investment that the government continues to make in Antarctic research and in funding programs to do with Antarctica; but, again, the evidence that we are seeing highlights again the need for us to continue taking action on climate change both as a country and as a globe.

I recognise that Senator Whish-Wilson probably doesn't support the actions that our government is taking, but the reality is that this is the first government that Australia has had for a very long time that has taken climate change action seriously. It's why we increased the targets on emissions. It's why we've managed to reduce emissions.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Emissions are up—so are power prices.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I see Senator Canavan perpetuating the falsehood that other members of his party have been perpetuating this week by claiming that emissions are going up or actually are flatlining when actually the facts, something that Senator Canavan is never keen to recognise, show that Australia is tracking well to meet our 2030 climate pollution target, with new quarterly emissions data showing that emissions fell by 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the year to March 2025. I know it doesn't really suit Senator Canavan and all the other guests on 'Sky after dark' to actually talk about facts, data and evidence about climate emissions, but our policies are bringing them down, and we want to do more.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Whish-Wilson, first supplementary?

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, will the government heed the call of the 20 Australian and global scientists who published this paper, including Dr Petra Heil from the Australian Antarctic division in Hobart, that stabilising the Earth's climate with minimal overshoot of 1.5 degrees is critical? Are you confident your 2035 climate target will be ambitious enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate these very concerning broadscale changes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Whish-Wilson. What I can absolutely assure Senator Whish-Wilson and this chamber of is that the Albanese government will continue to take strong action on climate change. I think everyone is well aware that it won't be too much longer now before the government releases its intentions around 2035 emissions targets, and they will be more ambitious than the ones that we have in place at the moment. But the reality is that even the target we currently have, of a 43 per cent reduction by 2030, is far in advance of what we saw by the former government or any previous Australian government. I could remind Senator Whish-Wilson that there was another Australian government here once that tried to put in place a carbon pollution reduction scheme, but there was a party at the time that blocked that from happening. I've forgotten temporarily which party that was. It was the Liberals, but there was another party—ah, it was the Greens! I forgot. Imagine where we would be—ah, yes.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Whish-Wilson, second supplementary?

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not sure why you do hate Julia Gillard so much in the Labor Party. Minister, you mentioned the importance of science and investing in science, but one of our premier Antarctic science institutions, the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, based in Hobart is running out of funding. You've been written to by every crossbench MP and senator from Tasmania to ensure that that funding continues. Minister, can you confirm today to the scientists in Hobart—many of whom have just been to the Antarctic—that you will have long-term funding in MYEFO or in this years budget?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Whish-Wilson. There are a number of senators who've contacted me about this issue regarding funding, most of whom are Labor Party senators from Tasmania, who have been very good advocates for their state and have been making the point to me—in fact, Senator Dowling did it only a few days ago, as have the other Tasmanian senators who've all raised this point with me. We are aware that the very important funding that has been provided by the federal government to that research centre is reaching the end. Of course that, along with many other programs across government, needs to be considered through a usual budget process, but we're very supportive and very proud of the research that's been undertaken by those scientists, and I thank them for their important work. It is important that we have science informing government decision-making about the management of Tasmania. I recognise Senator Lambie, who's also written to me about this point.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Whish-Wilson?

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order on relevance. Could the minister please confirm today to those scientists that their jobs will be funded?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant to the question. Thank you, Senator Whish-Wilson.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, in running a budget and making these decisions, we go through a budget process. We recognise the important work, and we'll consider that as soon as we possibly can. (Time expired)