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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2945 ..

Mr Corbell: I take a point of order, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. The Minister is deliberately provoking the member. As the Speaker has already severely reprimanded members for interjecting, I think it is inappropriate that the Manager of Government Business should deliberately provoke members to interject.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Resume your seat, Mr Corbell. It is admirable that you are taking a leading role in protecting her, but I am sure Ms Tucker can take care of herself. I am sure the Minister is also capable of - - -

MR HUMPHRIES: Mea culpa.

MR CORBELL (4.32): What an amazing approach by this Minister! On the one hand, he said, "Look at all the good things the Government is doing". On the other hand, he said, "But we really do not have to worry about the greenhouse effect. It is really not that important". He attempted to belittle the significance of this issue and to belittle the incredible threat that climate change poses not only to our community but to our nation and all other nations across the world. I think it is disgraceful that the Minister for the Environment should get up in this place and say that you do not really need to worry about climate change.

The Minister suggested that Ms Tucker's comments were not based on scientific evidence or proven research. I do not know whether the Minister has heard of the United Nations. Have you heard of the United Nations, Minister? It is a quite significant organisation. The United Nations established a panel called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, in 1988 in direct response to the emerging problems of greenhouse gas emissions and the so-called greenhouse effect. If the United Nations in 1988 was prepared to set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in recognition of the problems of the greenhouse effect and the severe effects it could have on communities right around the world, why is this Minister not prepared to treat it with the same degree of seriousness? The answer can only be that this Minister knows that his Government's record on dealing with greenhouse gas emissions is appalling. They have refused to treat it seriously. When the issue is raised in this place, what does the Minister do? The Minister tries to belittle the issue.

I would like to put a few points before the Assembly. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change brings together 2,500 of the world's leading scientists and experts to assess scientific information on climate change, assess the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of climate change and formulate response strategies. That is the purpose of that panel. Information I have indicates that that panel has already forecast that there will be an increase in global mean surface temperature of one to 3.5 degrees by the year 2100 and an associated sea level rise of between 19 and 95 centimetres. Just think about that. There will be an increase of nearly one metre in the sea level. That would have a devastating effect right around the world. It is important to recognise that these things are difficult to measure, but the fact is that this effect is occurring. All governments, including this Government here in the ACT, need to address it seriously - a point which, unfortunately, the Minister seems to miss.

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