Page 3594 - Week 11 - Thursday, 16 November 2006
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Mr Smyth: John Hargreaves is always confused.
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank Mr Smyth for his encouragement. It seems that the strategy in respect of Mr Smyth is working. I have never seen a man so confused in all my born days. I thank Dr Foskey for the question.
You are asking for a level of detail that goes back quite a bit. You are asking for details in respect of when Kyoto was signed. I do not carry that information around with me at all. I do not think you would expect me to. I am quite happy to take that part of the question on notice and get that information for you as soon as I can.
DR FOSKEY: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Can the minister give some commitment that the ACT government has a commitment to meeting the Kyoto targets and how it is planning to do that?
MR HARGREAVES: In respect of Dr Foskey’s supplementary question, the discussion paper on climate change, as everybody would know, has a very significant chapter in it regarding greenhouse gas emissions. The discussion paper talks about the government considering a target of 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. We need to get a little bit more detail around this for you.
I think it is really interesting. We have a discussion paper out on climate change. I am not very far away at all from being able to finalise that climate change strategy. The chamber would appreciate that such a significant document will require cabinet approval. I have yet to take it to cabinet, which I intend to do in the very near future.
I find it rather remarkable that those opposite are sniping away when indeed one of their own, talking about Kyoto, or the new Kyoto, is sitting up in Nairobi to put down what is called the new Kyoto agreement and a learned expert in environmental science said on radio that she thinks, in fact, that the only place where this new Kyoto sits is merely in Senator Campbell’s mind. In fact—and this is interesting—this proposal on the new Kyoto agreement was not even given to Senator Campbell’s own delegation. They have not seen it and we have not seen it either.
Mr Smyth: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Under standing order 118 (b) the minister is not entitled to debate the issue. He was not asked about what Senator Campbell was given. He was asked about greenhouse gases in the ACT. If he cannot answer it, he should sit down.
MR SPEAKER: Come to the subject matter of the question.
MR HARGREAVES: I am. I am actually responding to the point and the relevance in this chamber that I am under some sort of attack from those opposite regarding the so-called lack of information regarding climate change here.
Mrs Dunne: Point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Hargreaves says that he is responding to those opposite, but we did not ask the question. Dr Foskey did.
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