MATTERS OF URGENCY

Senator DOLEGA (Tasmania) (17:35): I too rise in response to Senator McDonald's urgency motion, where she states: The Albanese Government must take immediate action to reject Scope 3 emissions forming any part of approvals processes and restore Australia's standing as a pro-mining, pro-industry country, before our prosperity suffers any more. Heavens! Let's be clear: these claims misrepresent both the facts and our government's approach.

The Albanese Labor government supports a strong resources sector, we support a strong industry, and Labor supports the workers whose livelihoods depend on it. We also support robust environmental protections and credible action on climate change. These objectives are not mutually exclusive.

Our responsibility as a government is to strike the right balance between economic growth, environmental protection and long-term national prosperity. There's also been considerable discussion about a recent High Court decision, and it's important to understand the facts of that one: the Australian government wasn't a party to the proceedings, it was a matter concerning an application of New South Wales legislation by the High Court, and it doesn't relate to a decision of the Commonwealth government.

In fact, the Federal Court had recently considered the Australian government's role in approving resources projects, including the Mount Pleasant coalmine in New South Wales. There are no outstanding applications before the Commonwealth relating to that project. The position of this government is straightforward.

We apply the national environmental laws as enacted by this parliament through the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Whether the proposal before us is a housing development, a solar farm, a transmission project or a coalmine, federal decisions are made in accordance with the law. That is what Australians expect, and that's what we will continue to do.

At the same time, there's been a lot of commentary about climate impacts and those scope 3 emissions, and those on the other side are suggesting that the government is doing nothing about the impact of major projects on climate change. That claim is simply untrue. Our government passed laws including the safeguard mechanism, which requires Australia's largest industrial emitters to cut their emissions by five per cent each year on a pathway to net zero emissions by 2050.

This places a clear obligation on heavy emitting industries to reduce pollution and invest in cleaner technologies. I don't think that's unreasonable to ask, because households are doing the same in record numbers. Households are installing more batteries because of our Cheaper Home Batteries Program, and they are installing solar panels with solar rebates.

It's not unreasonable that business also make those investments. We are taking meaningful action through the mechanisms that are designed to reduce emissions across the country. On the scope 3 emissions, it's important to note that almost every country in the world has signed the Paris Agreement.

That agreement is built around the responsibility of each nation to reduce the emissions produced within itself. In Australia, that is the emissions made in the production of energy, not in its use. Likewise, Australia is only responsible for the emissions made by Japanese and Korean cars, not the emissions made during their production.

So there are a range of mechanisms already in place, both domestically and internationally, to manage the climate impact of developments. Of course, people across this chamber will argue that we should do more, and some will argue that we should do less. However, being in government means we must strike the right balance between protecting our environment and supporting industry, investments and jobs that Australians rely on.

That brings me to the topic of workers. The hypocrisy coming from some on the other side when it comes to mine workers is outrageous. They're happy to pose for photos in hi-vis and they're happy to stand in front of the cameras and claim to support working Australians, yet, when legislation comes before the parliament to increase wages and improve conditions, they disappear or, even worse, vote it down.

Let us remember that the coalition and One Nation voted against closing the loopholes legislation, opposed measures that criminalise wage theft, opposed measures that stop workers being undercut through dodgy labour hire arrangements and opposed reforms that strengthen protections and standards in the road transport industry. I've spoken to people who are tens of thousands of dollars better off because of those laws.