Climate Change

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:24): I rise to express my very deep concern that the federal climate change policies will severely damage South Australia's environment and economy. There is overwhelming evidence that our climate is changing. On Monday 16 September, the ABC TV program Q&A hosted a panel of prominent and highly-respected scientists. In response to a question on climate change, the panellists were unanimous that the scientific evidence overwhelmingly proves that the climate is changing. Nobel prize winner Peter Doherty made the point very well when he used a medical analogy in describing the health of the planet. He said:

The diagnosis is clear. The exact progress the disease will take is not necessarily that clear—it is enormously complex. But what we need to do now is think about treatment…all of us need to think about duty of care because we have the duty of care of the planet, and of every other life form on it and duty of care for future generations.

Labor takes its duty of care very seriously. I have been very pleased to have been a part of a government that has had an emphasis on this. Premier Rann was one of the first ministers for climate change, I think, in the country and certainly on an international level and this inheritance has continued right through to today with the work that has been done by not only Premier Weatherill but minister Ian Hunter from the other place.

The other thing that I think South Australia should be known for is that we enacted Australia's first dedicated climate change legislation. The former Labor government released a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and began a climate change awareness program. Today, South Australia's emissions are lower than they were in the 1990s. The government set itself a target of achieving 33 per cent renewable electricity by 2020 and it is possible that we will reach this target in the coming year.

South Australia leads the nation in the uptake of alternative energy sources. Since 2002, the installed capacity of renewable energy has grown from 0.8 per cent in 2002 to 31.7 per cent. All of this has been achieved in spite of the state's population and economy which have both grown. In fact, all of this has significantly contributed to the creation and growth of new industries and jobs in South Australia. In order to treat the problem effectively, all governments must take their duty of care seriously.

At times, it feels like South Australia is alone in Australia in acting on this duty, especially given that countries like China and the United States are strengthening their climate change policies. In fact, earlier this year, President Obama announced some of the most ambitious emissions reduction targets to date. Let us not forget that the United States is a country that has faced the full brunt of the global financial crisis, with higher unemployment than Australia and a federal debt estimated to be around four times higher than Australia. It seems like the US President clearly understands his duty of care. He said:

As President and as a parent, I refuse to condemn our children to a planet that's beyond fixing. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won't happen overnight and it will require tough choices along the way.

I ask: does the Abbott government also understand that it has a duty of care to our planet? The facts speak for themselves. Since coming into office, the Abbott government has not done anything that I am aware of but dismantle important policies on climate change. They have repealed the national carbon pricing mechanism and replaced it with a direct action plan that has been ridiculed by experts. They have abolished the Climate Commission, the Australian Renewable Energy Authority and defunded the Environmental Defender's Office and the CSIRO.