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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 3085 ..

MR STEFANIAK: Given that Mr Berry has had that thrown at him - with good cause - over many years, that probably is not unparliamentary. Mr Berry, however, indicated that I should have spoken to Mrs Carnell. That is very difficult, Mr Speaker. For Mr Berry's information, as the Chief Minister said, it is quite clearly a program which she runs, and there was not an application. It is not one of the programs that I run. No-one - whether it was someone from the disabled swimming, the person who was a correspondent in the paper, Mr Don Allan or anyone from swimming generally - ever approached me about it. The first thing I knew about it was when I read about it in the paper. So, Mr Berry, get your facts right again.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I withdraw any imputation.

MR STEFANIAK: That was not anything to do with the Bureau of Sport, Recreation and Racing. Mr Berry, if people bring up anything in relation to sporting matters, I am quite happy to talk to whoever is responsible for any particular program.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The personal explanation is concluded, Mr Stefaniak.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I withdraw any imputation against Mr Stefaniak. He has made it clear that it is all Mrs Carnell's responsibility.

MS TUCKER (4.53): I move:

That, taking into account the Australian Government's ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which includes a target of stabilising greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000, this Assembly calls on the Government to develop a greenhouse gas reduction target specifically for the ACT. Further, that this target be applied to greenhouse gases emitted within the ACT and also to greenhouse gases emitted outside the ACT as a result of electricity consumption within the ACT.

Mr Speaker, the Greens have proposed this motion because we are concerned that not enough is being done to address one of the greatest environmental threats to the planet. The earth already has a natural greenhouse effect; gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun's rays within the atmosphere, thus maintaining the earth's temperature at a level which allows life to be sustained. However, human activity since the Industrial Revolution has significantly increased the concentrations of these gasses in the atmosphere and is enhancing the natural greenhouse effect, which is leading to global warming and consequently a range of negative environmental and social impacts. Rises in sea levels are just one consequence. There could be also increased variability in climate, with more extreme events such as droughts, floods and storms. Both natural and human systems across the globe will be affected by climate change.

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