The Australian Greens are celebrating the historic Senate vote for world-leading legislation to tackle the global nemesis of climate change.
Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown congratulated Greens Deputy Leader Christine Milne and the Gillard government for giving Australia a real breakthrough in tackling that nemesis of climate change.
“People 50 years, or 500 years, from now will thank us for doing this,” Senator Brown said.
“This is a vote for Australian householders, economic planners and ecologically sound business, as well as the Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo, the Murray Darling Basin and 700,000 property owners on our coastal margins,” Senator Brown said.
• Breaking news on this: TT News Dropdown (top Nav Bar), including ABC Online, HERE, (if only for the pictures)
• Julia touches down to better poll, HERE
• Christine Milne: Tasmanians embrace new clean energy era:
Today is an historic day for Australia and a boost to global efforts to reduce emissions as the Senate passes the Clean Energy Future legislation, the Australian Greens said today.
“Today is the day that Australia lays the foundation for a whole economic transformation and it’s the day we start serious action to tackle the climate crisis ,” Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne, said.
“It is a day when the parliament placed the wellbeing of future generations front and centre.
“This is an exciting day in Australia. Laying this foundation stone means it is the beginning of building a clean, zero carbon economy and seizing the opportunities of creating jobs and investment and putting our economy on a 21st century track.
“Tasmanians are seeing hope on the horizon as the renewable energy industry stands to gain from much needed investment and jobs.
“For years, Tasmania has edged its way closer to being a renewable energy powerhouse, and now our island state can open its doors to innovation and investment with support from the federally funded Clean Energy Finance Corporation, and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
“Rural Tasmania is also ripe for investment through the carbon farming initiative and the Biodiversity Fund. This is a win win for biodiversity and on farm stewardship.
“This comes at a time when Tasmania is crying out for investment in industry, people and jobs. We now have a golden opportunity for the strengthening of industries that will neither offer boom and bust insecurity or the threat of environmental catastrophe.
“Tasmanians, from jobseekers to farmers and parents wishing the best for their children, can embrace the beginning of this exciting new era as the world moves towards clean air, clean energies, and a more secure and prosperous future.”
• Cassy O’Connor, Minister for Climate Change: An important day in the nation’s history
The Minister for Climate Change, Cassy O’Connor, said that today marked an important day in the nation’s history as the Clean Energy Future package passed the Australian Senate.
“Today, through a multi-party commitment to strong leadership on climate change, we begin our formal transition to a low carbon future,” Ms O’Connor said.
“The Tasmanian Government has long supported a national carbon price as an effective way to reduce the nation’s emissions.
“Today’s vote to pass the Clean Energy Future package in Canberra is the result of many months of good faith negotiations between Labor, the Greens and Independents, who have worked together to prove power sharing government can deliver great outcomes.
“It is inescapable that we must collectively reduce our emissions to a safe level to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for our beautiful island state and for our children’s children into the future.
“As the Climate Commission tells us, the decade in which we must act to achieve this starts now.
“From now on, we must take every opportunity to ensure that the carbon pricing scheme is implemented efficiently and effectively at the regional and local level.
“Part of this will be taking hold of opportunities that arise from the Commonwealth carbon package such as the multi-billion dollar support for renewable energy and energy efficiency, significant investment in community grants programs and funds to implement the Carbon Farming Initiative and to protect biodiversity with a focus on landscape restoration.
“Tasmania has an opportunity to be a leader in taking advantage of this major Commonwealth Government economic reform, to establish ourselves as a centre of excellence in remote renewable energy, and develop the significant job potential to be realised for our State.
“As Minister for Climate Change, I look forward to working cooperatively with my Cabinet colleagues and key stakeholders to achieve this.
