Mr GUNNER - 2009-11-25
Can you inform the House on any threats to the Australian Emissions Trading Scheme becoming law?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. I know the opposition will not face up to this issue - that climate change is the most pressing issue on the international agenda. In the Australian parliament yesterday, after 10 torturous weeks of negotiations between Ian Macfarlane and Penny Wong, a final offer on a CPRS scheme was made to the Coalition party room to ensure Australia can go to Copenhagen with a united position from the Australian government.
This is very serious. When we hear that all the climate change predictions show increasing temperatures, it is absolutely important, as politicians and as leaders, we have a comprehensive approach to this particular issue. Today, I understand the federal opposition has said it will support the proposition put forward. In the Northern Territory, we need to understand what the Country Liberals’ position is on this. What is the Country Liberals’ position on this? They are …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … infiltrated by deniers on the other side. They sit on these benches opposite, and the Country Liberals’ Senator in Canberra, Nigel Scullion, is set to vote against the proposed negotiated amendments. What the Leader of the Opposition said yesterday …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, if you can tell me something different, I will accept I am wrong and I will apologise.
Yesterday, I asked the Leader of the Opposition to contact Senator Scullion; show leadership and tell him he has to abide by Country Liberals’ policy. In the last sittings of parliament, the Leader of the Opposition jumped up in a personal exploration, and said:
I have gone back to get a copy of that policy. This is Country Liberals’ policy. It is about the leadership and the integrity of the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition. The policy says:
First paragraph:
The policy position of the Country Liberals is that climate change is real and it needs to be addressed. It goes on to say in the next statement - and it is a pretty decent package:
Here we are, at a point in time where Australia, as a nation, wants to act, and the Country Liberals have acknowledged climate change is a reality, has a policy which says that, if future generations are to have improved standards of living, we have to act. We have the reality of a Leader of the Opposition who is unable to get one of only two Northern Territory Senators - one of the two, 50% of the representation of the Northern Territory in our Australian Senate - to actually support his own policy. He is so weak he cannot even get the Senator of his own party to support his own policy in the interests of Australia and the interests of the Northern Territory.
I call on the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership and direct Nigel Scullion to support the compromise his own party has hammered out.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for his question. I know the opposition will not face up to this issue - that climate change is the most pressing issue on the international agenda. In the Australian parliament yesterday, after 10 torturous weeks of negotiations between Ian Macfarlane and Penny Wong, a final offer on a CPRS scheme was made to the Coalition party room to ensure Australia can go to Copenhagen with a united position from the Australian government.
This is very serious. When we hear that all the climate change predictions show increasing temperatures, it is absolutely important, as politicians and as leaders, we have a comprehensive approach to this particular issue. Today, I understand the federal opposition has said it will support the proposition put forward. In the Northern Territory, we need to understand what the Country Liberals’ position is on this. What is the Country Liberals’ position on this? They are …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order! Order!
Mr HENDERSON: … infiltrated by deniers on the other side. They sit on these benches opposite, and the Country Liberals’ Senator in Canberra, Nigel Scullion, is set to vote against the proposed negotiated amendments. What the Leader of the Opposition said yesterday …
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, if you can tell me something different, I will accept I am wrong and I will apologise.
Yesterday, I asked the Leader of the Opposition to contact Senator Scullion; show leadership and tell him he has to abide by Country Liberals’ policy. In the last sittings of parliament, the Leader of the Opposition jumped up in a personal exploration, and said:
… during the 2008 election campaign, I released the Country Liberals’ environment policy Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change …
I have gone back to get a copy of that policy. This is Country Liberals’ policy. It is about the leadership and the integrity of the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition. The policy says:
- Country Liberals Environment Policy – Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change.
First paragraph:
- If the present generations are to pass on improving standards of living to their children and grandchildren, the challenges presented by climate change have to be addressed.
The policy position of the Country Liberals is that climate change is real and it needs to be addressed. It goes on to say in the next statement - and it is a pretty decent package:
- It will require action at all levels: nations certainly must act …
Here we are, at a point in time where Australia, as a nation, wants to act, and the Country Liberals have acknowledged climate change is a reality, has a policy which says that, if future generations are to have improved standards of living, we have to act. We have the reality of a Leader of the Opposition who is unable to get one of only two Northern Territory Senators - one of the two, 50% of the representation of the Northern Territory in our Australian Senate - to actually support his own policy. He is so weak he cannot even get the Senator of his own party to support his own policy in the interests of Australia and the interests of the Northern Territory.
I call on the Leader of the Opposition to show some leadership and direct Nigel Scullion to support the compromise his own party has hammered out.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016