Page 4651 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 October 2010
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Despite what Mr Smyth will have you believe if you listen to his speech today, we have the strongest performing economy in the country. I am not saying that that does not come without some risk, because there is only one place when you are number one, but this government’s focus has always been on supporting jobs, making sure the environment is right for business and not picking winners but creating the right business environment. I do not think you can say that, after nine years of being in government, all of that is down to the Howard government. If you do, I beg to differ. I think the federal government does have influence, but I have to say that I do not think we would have such a strong economy in place in the ACT if the measures that this government has introduced over the last nine years were not working.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): The discussion is concluded.
Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Bill 2010
[Cognate bill:
Climate Change (Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets) Bill 2008 (No 2)]
Debate resumed.
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (5.01): I rise today to speak in support of the Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Bill 2010. This target of 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on 1990 levels by the year 2020 is of course a top priority for the ACT Greens. We made the introduction of a legislated target the number one policy item in our parliamentary agreement with the Labor Party. And I am delighted we are going to pass that legislation today.
Mr Smyth: No.
MS LE COUTEUR: I guess I should say that I am hopeful that we will pass this legislation today. I am also conscious of the need to keep working on it so that we do more than pass legislation, we start a process to change the ACT so that we achieve the goal of this legislation.
As I said in my maiden speech to the Assembly in 2008, the main reason I stood for the Greens was the issue of climate change. Two years later I am even more concerned. World greenhouse gas emissions are going up, not down. It is the goal of me and all my Green colleagues to be part of changing how the world works so that we do face up to climate change. Business as usual will no longer work.
The Greens are working on change. Already in our short time in the Assembly, we have been driving changes in areas such as solar orientation, solar hot-water, sustainable transport, ethical investment, renewable energy, waste and recycling. All of these actions address climate change issues across the spectrum of portfolios. We are continuing this agenda, with the goal of ensuring that the ACT does its part so that, even in the absence of national leadership, the ACT meets the climate change obligations of all governments and all citizens of our one world.
There is simply no getting away from the reality that we must respond to climate change. And we need to do it in ways that are equitable so that the impact of climate
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