Wednesday, 20 March 2019

 Mr HALSE (Ringwood) (10:06): I rise to congratulate the tens of thousands of young people who went on strike to campaign for climate justice last Friday. Their actions were bold and courageous. Many students from the district of Ringwood participated in this collective action, and I congratulate them. Make no mistake: dangerous, human-induced global warming is real, and it is happening right now. The CSIRO, the Department of Defence and every major Australian university have indicated that we must act to reduce carbon pollution, and we must act now. The consequences of global warming will be devastating for our younger generations if we do nothing.

Some believe that global warming is a myth and that we should instead invest in new coal-powered electricity generation, but they are the minority, and they are wrong. The Victorian Andrews Labor government is forging ahead with the most ambitious renewable energy targets of any state in Australia and we are investing record amounts into renewable energy. We will not sit idly by while our planet is destroyed through inaction.

Finally, I would like to address the young people who are involved in this amazing movement. I want you to know that I am with you every step of the way. Keep going, keep the pressure on and keep forging a better future for all of us.