Climate Change

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Can the minister outline to the house how—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Can I have that question from the start, please. I make a real effort to try to listen to them.

Mrs POWER: Most certainly, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Environment and Water. Can the minister outline to the house how the government is meeting the challenges of a changing climate?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Minister for Environment and Water) (14:39): It always amazes me that when we try to answer a serious question about something such as climate change the opposition just make a lot of fuss and noise and cannot listen.

Mr Szakacs interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Cheltenham is on two warnings.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I thank the member for Elder for her question. It's a question about something very pressing facing our nation and our state at the moment, and that is the challenges we are facing in the face of a changing climate. It was a great opportunity yesterday, down at Business SA on Greenhill Road, to stand alongside the Premier to launch the state government's climate directions statement, where we outlined what our approach would be to ensuring that South Australia is well placed to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. It is a—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader, you will be leaving if this continues.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Mr Speaker, last time I answered a question about climate change, the Leader of the Opposition just continually interjected until you chucked him out, and he is doing it again because he has proven that he has no interest—no interest at all—in our responses to a changing climate—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: It's all political, it's all noise, it's all slogans, it's all activism; it's not doing. They are climate whingers, not climate doers.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Minister, be seated for one moment. The member for West Torrens, you can leave for the remainder of question time under 137A.

Mr Pederick: He ordered his coffee.

The SPEAKER: And the member for Hammond will be leaving shortly if this continues.

The honourable member for West Torrens having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Environment and Water has the call.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Thank you, Mr Speaker. A raw nerve was touched on the other side of this chamber, that's for sure. Back to our climate directions statement—a very, very valuable document to help guide not only environmental challenges but also to look at, potentially, the economic opportunities that can be present here in South Australia as we look to adapt to climate change.

We know that a considerable amount of work was done by the previous government to position us quite well when it comes to our change in climate, particularly around renewables and particularly around our state brand. We need to give credit where credit's due: I think one of the most seamless transitions in the change of government was in the area of climate policy.

We have taken that brand that South Australia has and we have continued to work towards ensuring that our state can maximise both the resilience of our state in the face of a changing climate, ensuring that our population is prepared for it, ensuring that our environment is prepared for it, and also looking for potential economic opportunities that can flow from sharing our knowledge, sharing our experiences and sharing the products and services which we have developed here in South Australia as a result of the particular climatic challenges that we face.

The key policy platform areas that form part of our climate directions statement include unlocking innovation and economic opportunities, reducing net emissions, building resilience and adapting to climate change, providing accessible information on our changing climate, and government leading by example. All are key areas that will position this state in the best way possible to deal with climate change and to identify and maximise the benefits as well.

Under the unlock innovation and economic opportunity platform of this policy, of course, one of those opportunities, one of those innovations that presents itself to this state, is dealing with genetically modified crops. We know that genetic modification can give our crops the resilience to deal with a changing climate and can really position our farmers, our food producers, to stand firm and to benefit, or at least create resilience, in the face of that change in climate—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: standing order 118, sir. Unless a member or minister is making a personal explanation, it is unparliamentary to refer to a matter which has been canvassed by a bill of the same session.

The SPEAKER: I will listen to the minister's answer. I caution the minister.

The Hon. S.K. Knoll: Except when it was questions on land tax.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: Well, exactly—pot calling the kettle black there.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: I just want to finish by emphasising that this government is responding to the impacts of climate change. We understand it and we want to make a difference in this important policy area.

The SPEAKER: The member for Kaurna, then Florey

Mr Ellis: The minister for Transforming Health.

The SPEAKER: The member for Narungga is called to order.