Senator DUNIAM (Tasmania—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business) (15:47): What a delight it is to follow Senator Brown in that rousing contribution about the government's position on the motion before us. I like Utopia, and I'm sure that the Albanese Labor government have picked most of their policy nomenclature from the script of Utopia. We've got a sector-wide strategy. We've got a road map. We've got an action plan, and all of it is going to lead nowhere, frankly, apart from disaster and destruction for the Australian economy—the offshoring of jobs, the increasing pressures on household budgets—and all of it on the basis of what Senator Brown and her colleagues describe as a 'climate emergency'. Someone must have missed the memo, because earlier today, during question time, the government actually did refer to something that is impacting on Australians, and that is the cost-of-living crisis that we're facing. Thank the good Lord, of course, the Reserve Bank today put a hold on interest rates, but someone has missed the memo in that contribution just given from and on behalf of the Australian government about what really matters to Australians. I have to apologise to Senator Roberts, because while his motion is fantastic in many respects, it is not going to change a blasted thing when it comes to the direction the Australian government is taking with the bedfellows down the end here, the Australian Greens. Disastrous and destructive policies based on anything other than science—emotion, headline grabs, Utopia scripts, as we already heard today—if we look at these things, I think the construction of his motion points to some very important points, because balance and proportionality are important when it comes to government responses. I don't know that there's anyone in this chamber that wants to destroy the environment, contrary to the assertions that are often made about people being 'planet haters' and 'climate deniers'. I actually want this place to be a wonderful place for my three sons and their children, should they choose to have them. I'd like them to enjoy the beautiful wilderness in Tasmania. But shutting down entire industries without any regard for the economic impact is, I think, irresponsible and it won't fix the climate emergency. It will in fact make this cost-of-living crisis worse. Take, for example, this climate emergency that Senator Brown referred to in her contribution in talking about the bushfires on the east coast of Australia in recent times. It's Labor across the country that are shutting down the native forest industry. They want to lock up swathes of forest and throw away the key, with no management whatsoever. We have seen it happen in Victoria. We have seen it happen in Western Australia. Do you know what? When you remove management of our productive forests, you increase bushfire risks. Senator McKim: Oh, rubbish! The PRESIDENT: Senator McKim! Senator DUNIAM: You see bunkum reports out there suggesting forestry contributes to bushfires. I tell you what: not managing forests is actually bad for our environment. Senator McKim: That is an absolute load of rubbish, and you know it. The PRESIDENT: Senator McKim, I've called you to order. I expect you to stop interjecting. Senator DUNIAM: Thank you for your protection, President; I appreciate it very much. As I continue to make my fact based, science based points, I want to demonstrate the lack of logic in the government's thinking. When you have groups like the Labor Environment Action Network, which is probably going to take over the Australian Labor Party at the next federal convention—I'm reading a few things that are sending out concerning messages about the direction of this government and their policies and there is real concern—you see policies like this, with the shutting down of the native forest industry. It's not based on science. That is not factored in anywhere in any of these policy decisions by the two state Labor governments that have pursued this. Goodness knows what this government will do when it comes to its turn to make a decision about the future of that industry. We are supposed to be problem solvers and we are supposed to be dealing with the issues that affect Australians most. The contribution that was made earlier about what crisis people are facing when they can't pay their power bills, can't keep the lights on, can't heat their home in winter, can't put fuel in the car and can't put food on the table was ridiculous. The government have climate policies like the safeguard mechanism, which we proudly opposed because all that will do is send jobs offshore along with the emissions that will inevitably be increased when those businesses, those heavy emitters, go to jurisdictions where they don't give a damn about the environment and they don't care about emissions. It will be a net negative for our environment and it will certainly be a net negative for our economy and for households that are struggling already. So I have to say that I am concerned about where they are headed. But, unfortunately, Senator Roberts, no number of motions in this place will ever get them to see sense. Only at the ballot box will they be proven wrong about their ridiculous policies— (Time expired)