Tuesday, 8 March 2022
Members statements
Queensland and New South Wales floods
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Table of contents
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Bills
- Domestic Animals Amendment (Reuniting Pets and Other Matters) Bill 2021
- Domestic Animals Amendment (Reuniting Pets and Other Matters) Bill 2021
- Health Legislation Amendment (Quality and Safety) Bill 2021
- Major Events Legislation Amendment (Unauthorised Ticket Packages and Other Matters) Bill 2021
- Service Victoria Amendment Bill 2021
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Bills
- Domestic Animals Amendment (Reuniting Pets and Other Matters) Bill 2021
- Domestic Animals Amendment (Reuniting Pets and Other Matters) Bill 2021
- Health Legislation Amendment (Quality and Safety) Bill 2021
- Major Events Legislation Amendment (Unauthorised Ticket Packages and Other Matters) Bill 2021
- Service Victoria Amendment Bill 2021
Queensland and New South Wales floods
Ms SANDELL (Melbourne) (12:52): Today my thoughts are with everyone in Queensland and New South Wales facing catastrophic floods. I can only imagine what you are going through. For years we have been listening to the dire warnings that if we do not take drastic action on climate change right now extreme weather events will come faster and hit harder, and now they are here. It is a horrible wake-up call that governments everywhere need to heed.
Two weeks ago the New South Wales government announced it will completely ban all new mining and drilling for coal, oil and gas off New South Wales coasts, yet meanwhile here in Victoria the Labor government is actually expanding drilling for gas along our coasts, including right next to the Twelve Apostles Marine National Park. I would have thought with all the fires and floods we have experienced recently our government would not need much more of a wake-up call—that the world simply cannot afford to dig up and burn any fossil fuels anywhere.
Just last week the world’s climate scientists warned us yet again that the window to save ourselves from climate change is rapidly closing. But here we are, with Victoria on the one hand doing some really good things when it comes to renewable energy but on the other hand allowing more fossil fuel drilling in our beautiful oceans. It just does not make sense. That is why the Greens and I this week have introduced a bill for Victoria to follow New South Wales and ban oil and gas drilling in our oceans too. I really hope that all MPs in this place on both sides heed the recent words of our climate scientists, look at the devastating images coming out of our northern neighbours and then get on board to support this bill.