Greg Hunt failing Government’s first duty
Greens Deputy Leader, Adam Bandt MP, today said that the Minister for Environment is failing miserably in his first duty to protect Australians.
“It was Ronald Reagan who said that the first duty of a government is to protect its people, something Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt are failing to do,” said Mr Bandt.
“The Minister for Environment, Greg Hunt, has only raised the issue of climate change on four occasions in Parliament since he became minister six months ago. He is failing miserably in his first duty to protect Australia and its people.
“Faced with the threat of global warming, Greg Hunt is missing in action.
“Global warming means more bushfires, worse droughts and severe heat waves. It is the biggest threat to our way of life that we face,” said Mr Bandt.
There are four occasions on which Mr Hunt has raised the issue of climate change since September 2013, when he became minister.
- 26/2/14 – Green Army Second Reading Speech – mentioned once, referring to the concept of climate change.
- 21/11/13 – Speech pursuant to replacement explanatory memorandum – mentioned once, referring to the concept of climate change.
- 13/11/13 – Second reading speech on Climate Change Authority bill – 12 mentions, but some of these are part of the phrase ‘Climate Change Authority’ (six times). Mentioned once, referring to an agency ‘climate change bureaucracy’, and five times to the concept of climate change.
- 6/3/14 – Answer to question – mentioned once, referring to the concept of climate change.
Of these four, there is only one instance, the Second reading speech on Climate Change Authority bill, where Mr Hunt actually talks about the issue in any sort of depth.
There is one other instance (see below) but this was in an answer to a question, where Mr Hunt only mentions climate change once. This is a passing reference to ‘former climate change minister’ but not this issue of climate change itself.
11/2/14 – Answer to question – once, referring to a position title rather than the concept.