E&OE….
Topics: Climate change, marriage equality, Labor leadership
MARK PARTON:
Greg Hunt, the Environment Minister, is on the line right now. Hello Greg.
GREG HUNT:
Good morning.
MARK PARTON:
Were you stung by that criticism?
GREG HUNT:
Sorry I missed the introduction there. I was on hold.
MARK PARTON:
Sorry, we were talking about the United Nations report which suggested that Australia was free-rider and was no longer a global leader on tackling climate change.
GREG HUNT:
Look, it was slightly odd because I don’t think it could’ve taken into account a) our commitments to exactly the same targets as the previous government, b) the fact that we’ve closed the gap dramatically from more than a billion tonnes of reductions that Australia required to – just over 230 million tonnes officially – we’re doing better than that.
And then thirdly, we’ve just had what’s arguably been the most successful emissions reduction auction anywhere in the world with 47 million tonnes of emissions reductions through practical projects contracted out. So I suspect that it hasn’t taken into account any of those three factors. So we’re obviously seeking some information as to how they came to that conclusion. But it doesn’t fit with what’s happening in the real world, in Australia, where we’re doing as much as virtually any other country in the world.
MARK PARTON:
I guess it gets down to the fact that they don’t believe that we’re going to achieve what you’ve set out to achieve based on the way that we’re going to do it and I’ve got to tell you, when it comes to discussion on climate change, certainly in the realm of talk radio, it’s almost like a – it’s almost like you’re talking about following different churches and if you follow the church of carbon tax and, you know, cutting back on emissions by targeting companies, that’s what you steadfastly believe and anyone who comes up with anything different is instantly, instantly, you know, the verdict is no it’s not going to work.
GREG HUNT:
Well there’s a lot of truth to that I think because many people will say ‘gosh it’s got to be the carbon tax’. In reality, when you look at what’s happened in Europe, they’ve had a carbon tax in the form of an Emissions Trading Scheme. Nobody would say it’s worked well. It’s been in constant turmoil, it’s been the subject of massive attempts at revision because companies such as Point Carbon, probably the most significant observer of the market, says it’s just not actually reducing emissions.
Whereas, of course, the United States is now meeting its targets, but without a carbon tax. Although for a long while they made pledges, made pledges, made pledges and then never met them, whereas Australia has met all of its pledges. So that confounds a lot of people – that we make pledges, we meet them. Others will make pledges, grand bold pledges and fail to achieve them. So we should be pretty proud of what we’re doing.
MARK PARTON:
How well do you know George Christensen?
GREG HUNT:
Yeah I know George well.
MARK PARTON:
What is he doing? He’s – the Fairfax papers have got this big story that George is the one who’s speaking and he’s speaking on behalf of a number of conservative government MP’s and he’s saying same-sex marriage is not inevitable. He’s apparently warned Tony Abbott that he faces a savage internal backlash and he’s comparing it to what went down in 2009 when Malcolm was unseated as the leader for Tony. What rubbish.
GREG HUNT:
Oh look, he’s obviously a very passionate person about these issues and many people have different views in this space. The simple answer is there’ll be a Party Room discussion no doubt at some stage and everybody will express their views.
MARK PARTON:
But I mean to seriously suggest that somehow – I mean what he’s saying is that, where are we, he’s likening it – Mr Christensen likened it to the backlash experienced in 2009 when Mr Turnbull tried to support Labor’s carbon trading scheme. Mr Turnbull of course ended up losing the Liberal leadership.
I want George to show me who’s going to step forward and lead the Liberal Party on the basis of refusing a free vote for same-sex marriage because it’s certainly not going to be Malcolm, it’s not going to be Julie Bishop. Is Cory Bernardi going to lead the party?
GREG HUNT:
Oh look, I think we couldn’t be in a more stable situation now. I think that the PM, as a result of the last couple of weeks, is even more stable and people can manage differences of views and that’s a permanent condition in political parties and just a permanent challenge and I’ve got to say internally, with the focus on the Budget and small business, with the focus on trying to improve schools and hospitals and in my area, the things we’ve done on the Barrier Reef, there’s a huge amount of common purpose.
From time to time there are differences. That happens on all fronts. I suspect on the ABC tonight we’ll all be watching The Killing Season and that’s a real difference. Where there was visceral, terminal hatred between two warring camps and unfortunately a lot of that underlying tension is still there on the other side.
MARK PARTON:
And that’s depending, of course, on who you believe because Kevin said he never had an angry word for Julia!
GREG HUNT:
Ah yes I have heard that.
MARK PARTON:
Never! He said not Julia!
GREG HUNT:
I suspect there are a lot of willing protagonists on all sides and the fascinating thing is they’re willing to unburden themselves in public. I think it’s therapy for mass media to see.
MARK PARTON:
Mate, you’ve managed to do extremely well this morning again combining fatherhood and breakfast radio.
GREG HUNT:
You’re very tolerant. It’s the rare occasions I get to be with the family are sometimes in the car in the mornings when we’re talking. So a touch of reality.
MARK PARTON:
You’ve done well. You’re a multi-tasker. Thanks Greg.
GREG HUNT:
Thanks. Bye-bye.
(ENDS)