Global Climate Change Action

Senator MILNE (Tasmania) (1:55 PM) -As I rise to speak today, the earth, its people and its ecosystems are facing a planetary emergency driven by global warming and the Rudd government has demonstrated not only that is it not up to the task of addressing a global emergency but also that it has deliberately, willingly and knowingly turned its back on this generation, future generations and in particular all of those people in developing countries who are already suffering from climate change.

It is extraordinary that in human history one generation of humans has the power to impact overwhelmingly on all generations to come after. What we have seen here in this parliament today is a government thinking that a superficial political deal will suffice as a response to climate change.

Taking $6 billion away from Australia's households and handing it across to the coal industry-to coal-fired generators-is not an appropriate response to climate change. ...