Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (17:16): Here we are, some 11 years since the Greens sided with the National Party and voted down the CPRS. It's really frustrating that we're here again today, debating this urgency motion, without a pathway forward for how we as a country and as a parliament are going to deal with the very urgent case of combating climate change. We had this debate this time last year, a decade after opposition to the CPRS triggered what has become known colloquially as the climate wars in this country, and still there isn't a pathway forward. Still people come into this chamber and bicker and point and say, 'We're going to be better than you guys,' and, 'You're not doing enough.' I think the people of Australia deserve more leadership from politicians in this place. Communities are worried about what's happening to our climate. People are worried about what it means for their jobs. Our kids are worried about what it means for their future. And yet here we are, 11 years on, having pretty much the same discussion. That's the depressing nature of this. The Greens come in here holier than thou on this subject, but you are complicit too. You come in here and point the finger and vote things down, as you did 11 years ago, and look where we are now. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Fawcett ): Senator Gallagher, I remind you to address your comments through the chair. Senator GALLAGHER: Look where we are now. It's very easy for parties in this place to project the blame onto others rather than look at what role they have played, and no-one has been perfect. But the answer to how we're going to deal with climate change and the impact of a warming planet on people's lives—what it means for people's health, for their jobs and for the way they conduct their lives—is only going to happen when we all come together, realise the magnitude of the problem and work together, despite our differences, to map out a pathway forward. That isn't the approach the Greens political party have taken in this place. When they were given the opportunity to work with the more progressive side of politics, they chose another way out, only to then change two years later and vote for a scheme that wasn't as good. That's what they did. Here we are, 11 years on, and we haven't made any progress. We've got a government that should be held to account that has been woefully inadequate in the way that it has dealt with climate change. We've had a decade— Senator McKim interjecting— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Gallagher, please resume your seat. Senator McKim, I remind you of standing order 197. Interjections are disorderly. Your leader was given the courtesy of being heard in silence. I ask that you extend the same courtesy to other senators in this place. Senator GALLAGHER: Those of us in this place who do believe in climate change want to see stronger action and a pathway to secure jobs to support communities that will be affected by this transition. We want to make sure that people have good, high-paying jobs and that they aren't concerned about what's going to happen to their community and their kids. We want to make sure we are able to support that. Where people work together, we can actually deliver a reasonable outcome. But, again, the political imperative of the Greens is to attack Labor electorates and make sure Labor is blamed for everything, instead of focusing wholly on the inadequacy of this government. When we were last in government, emissions came down by more than 15 per cent. Under this government, in the last seven years, they've flatlined and have reduced by only one per cent. The Paris commitment from Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison is for a 26 per cent emissions cut by 2030. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Gallagher, I remind you to use the correct titles. Senator GALLAGHER: Sorry, the Prime Minister and former— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: 'Mr Abbott' is fine; he's no longer in this place. Senator GALLAGHER: The Paris commitment from Mr Abbott and the Prime Minister is for a 26 per cent emissions cut by 2030, and the government are nowhere near being on track to meet that. Their own projections show that, on current policy settings, we'll reduce our emissions by only four per cent over the course of the decade. We are becoming increasingly isolated on the world stage, with over 70 per cent of our trading partners committing to net zero emissions by the middle of the century. We've had all the peak groups—whether they be the National Farmers Federation, the Australian Industry Group or the Business Council—all of the peak community organisations and the ACTU commit to net zero emissions by 2050, but we haven't had that commitment from our government. Part of the reason we haven't is that people remain so divided on the right thing to do, and that problem is partly because those on our side continue to bicker. Why wouldn't those who believe in climate change and want to see greater action on it come together and work out what we're after, instead of coming in here and trying to blame each other? The Greens point at us and tell us how it's all Labor's fault. There is no commitment to working together. Look at what happened in the ACT when those on the progressive side of politics worked together. The ACT is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. Why is that? Because the progressive side of politics put aside their differences and worked out a way to deliver a good public policy outcome. I know, because I sat in that room, that it wasn't because the Greens political party forced our hand but because we both wanted the right outcome for our community. (Quorum formed) I think those little procedural stunts just amplify the argument that I'm making, which is that the Greens are not interested in actually delivering the outcome here. What they are interested in is getting their social media video out, pointing the finger at the major parties and making themselves out as those who are without fault. The minute someone draws attention to their tactics and the way they're operating, and the fact that we are going nowhere with placing pressure on this government about its woeful record on climate change—this is part of the problem. You didn't come in here seeking to resolve it. You don't seek to compromise, you don't seek to collaborate, you don't seek to— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Gallagher, again I remind you to address your remarks through the chair. Senator GALLAGHER: Thank you. The Greens don't seek to do anything that's actually constructive or that might deliver the outcome they say they seek. This urgency motion is a classic example. The motion makes it seem that the 68 per cent target by the UK—what you don't say is that it's based on 1990 levels. You're using the UK target— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKim, on a point of order? Senator McKim: On the back of your previous ruling, Acting Deputy President Fawcett, when Senator Gallagher says 'you' when referring to the Greens, she is most emphatically not speaking through the chair. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKim, that is true. You also need, though, if you wish to have that level of adherence to standing orders, to remember standing order 197—that interjections are disorderly. Senator GALLAGHER: Senator McKim is serial offender on the interjection front. The urgency motion notes 'that the UK has announced a 68 per cent emissions reduction by 2030'. But what is not explained there is that you're not measuring like with like in terms of current debate in Australia about mid-2030 emissions reduction targets, because the UK target is based on 1990 levels. Because of that, this motion is misleading, and the opposition won't be supporting it. However, if you had been factually correct, if you hadn't been seeking to mislead— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Gallagher, resume your seat. Senator GALLAGHER: For goodness sake! This is the sixth interruption in 10 minutes! The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Gallagher, resume your seat. Senator McKim, on a point of order? Senator McKim: Once again, the senator uses the word 'you' when referring to the Australian Greens, in direct contravention of your previous two rulings. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: You are correct. Senator Gallagher, I will remind you for about the fifth time: please refer or make your comments through the chair. Senator GALLAGHER: They're so touchy this afternoon! The opposition will not be supporting— Senator McKim interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: Yeah, righto— The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKim, I remind you of standing order 197 and the fact that you are wilfully and consistently refusing to comply with the standing orders. Senator GALLAGHER: We won't be supporting the motion because it is misleading in the way that it has been written, and I think that was probably deliberate. I look forward to the day—given that the Greens and the Labor Party have a shared view that stronger action needs to be taken on climate change and that we should be asking and requiring more of the Morrison government when it comes to action on climate change—when they come to us with a motion that is factually correct and when they collaborate and cooperate with us so that we are in a position to support it.