Page 266 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 7 March 2007
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Question so resolved in the affirmative.
MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (11.57): I seek leave to move a further amendment circulated in my name.
Leave granted.
MR MULCAHY: I move:
Omit all words after “notes”, substitute:
“(a) the need to recognise that actions need to be taken to develop a broad-based and co-ordinated approach to the issue of climate change; and
(b) the economic realities that affect policy implementation in this area; and
(2) calls on the Legislative Assembly to:
(a) commend the work of the Federal Government in playing a major role in the Asia-Pacific partnership on clean development and climate with key countries such as China, the USA, Japan and India; and
(b) encourage broader implementation of such Federal Government programmes as the Greenhouse Challenge Plus in mitigating and abating greenhouse gas emissions in partnership with industry and local communities.”.
As I indicated earlier, there is important work going on at a national level, and it is critical that we recognise this. There has been an enormous amount of rhetoric that has been perpetuated by the Greens. I must say that I noted with some interest that today even the Chief Minister was not willing to accept the notion advanced by Dr Foskey that you could give strict application to the Kyoto protocol and apply it across the ACT.
Clearly, as I indicated, Australia has played a vital role in terms of climate change issues. Despite not ratifying Kyoto, we have not achieved the targets that were established through our own policy initiatives. As the debate continues internationally, we have held the view that the new protocol will need to recognise that Australia does have natural resources; we cannot allow ourselves to be economically disadvantaged as a consequence of this push by the Green movement to embrace all things European. The European countries that have been such strong advocates of this have an appalling track record in terms of compliance; I put those figures on the record earlier.
For its part, the Australian government is tackling this issue in a constructive fashion. It has engaged with the two most populous nations in the world, China and India. It has engaged with the world’s strongest economy, the United States—and then Japan. For that reason, it is important that we recognise the lead role that we are playing in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
I have spoken in some detail about the Greenhouse Challenge Plus program. I will not get into more detail on that, other than to say that I have personally worked with the
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