Page 812 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 2 May 2007
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its Kyoto targets. However, it is important to not rush into action. It must be considered and measured and take into account the economic consequences for Australia.
A small jurisdiction like the ACT on a national scale, or indeed Australia on a global scale, can play an important role in meeting the challenges of climate change. It is important that the policies that we adopt to meet these challenges recognise the economic and social situation particular to the ACT. Similarly, on a global scale Australia must, when addressing the serious challenge of climate change, take into account national goals for economic prosperity, energy security and environmental sustainability.
Climate change is an issue that requires a global response and Australia’s capacity to participate in that response is dependent on the national economy’s ability to fund programs and implement change. It is an economy, of course, that again has delivered us relief from any further increase in interest rates today, as a consequence of the low-level inflation, enabling so many Canberra home owners to prosper and ensure that they improve their wealth and enjoy prosperity which we have now enjoyed for going on 11 years under the Howard government.
The advantages that Australia possesses with abundant coal, gas and uranium reserves and renewable assets are critical. As the Prime Minister has said, Australia’s contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions must take into consideration these advantages. Any action that puts the strength of the economy at risk destroys the foundations from which any response to climate change must originate. We cannot embark on measures that do not take into account what the cost is to our country. We cannot simply parrot what we are told to by other parts of the world that have no regard for the Australian economic position.
But we do have to make important steps forward in terms of climate change. We need to approach this in a bipartisan way nationally. We need to have positive initiatives and not let this simply become an area of point scoring, which I see so often at the federal level. So I move the following amendment to Ms Porter’s motion:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that the Prime Ministerial Task Group on emissions trading, announced on 10 December, is currently inquiring into a global emissions trading scheme in which Australia could participate and will report by 31 May; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to work with the Australian Government after the task force reports to implement any recommendations that it makes.”.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (11.33): I will start my response to Ms Porter’s motion with a call for the implementation of the ACT climate change strategy. It was promised at the end of December and promised again at the end of February, and here we are, in May, and still no climate change strategy. Climate change is the biggest issue facing Australia. It is at least as big as industrial relations, as Ms Porter said, and still the ACT has no climate change strategy.
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