Page 3478 - Week 10 - Thursday, 20 October 2022
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for some of the ambitious policy agenda of the government, net zero emissions by 2045 et cetera, but no enthusiasm about the work to reform wood heaters and eliminate the contaminates and PM2.5 emissions that come from wood heater smoke in our communities. We have seen active running down of the electric vehicle policy designed to assist Canberrans in the transition to an electric transport future. We continue to see running down and an active discrediting of this city’s ambition for a city-wide mass transit network designed to help people get out of the car. We have seen some confused responses to FOGO and the benefits of food and organic waste recycling.
In the remaining moments of my time, Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to encourage anybody listening to this debate, anybody paying attention to what goes on in the Assembly, and anybody in this city who takes serious the issue of climate change, which I think is an overwhelming majority of our population, to look past the Canberra Liberals’ attempts to agree with the government on its ambition and look closely at its subtle, purposeful and almost systemic undermining of the policy levers necessary to achieve a net zero emissions future. I have not even spoken of the seemingly wishy-washy position on the necessity to move away from fossil gas. If anything, I have actually seen members of the opposition actively undermine that policy and run it down.
We are going to continue to have conversations in this place about the climate crisis, if for no other reason than the fact that Ms Clay was elected in Ginninderra, but because it is a serious issue for the ACT Greens, it is a serious issue for the government and it is not getting any better any time soon. I think in the face of mounting evidence it is really necessary—we are not going to agree on everything, there would be no sport in this for any of us if we did, but on something as existential as future life on this planet, we really need to get some consensus. I appreciate the Canberra Liberals are supporting this motion today but you would be forgiven if you were a passing observer of what happens in the Assembly from thinking from some of the contributions that in fact they were not. I think it speaks to them talking out of both sides of the mouth on the issue of the climate crisis which is a situation the Canberra Liberals have found themselves in.
I will keep bringing motions, legislation, and policy proposals to this Assembly that combat the climate crisis. All five of my ACT Greens colleagues will. I expect members of ACT Labor will as well. I encourage those who care about this issue, care about future life in our city, and future life on our planet to continue—or to start asking and then continue to ask, some very critical and specific questions about how the Canberra Liberals, positioning themselves as an alternative government, intend on positioning in this space. We have seen as recently as today Mr Hanson make a 2024 election policy announcement. It is not too late to start talking about climate change, I would have thought. We look forward to seeing some of those very specific and detailed policy announcements coming up from the Canberra Liberals shortly.
Amendment agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
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