Ms KATE ELLIS (9:55 AM) —Today I rise to speak on the need for leadership and bold action to tackle environmental issues. For 10 long years, since the election of the Howard government, we have witnessed a devastating absence of innovative and visionary environmental policies. The government has turned its back on the dire environmental problems that face both our country and our world—problems like climate change, water quality, adequate water flows for rivers and estuaries, native vegetation and maintaining biodiversity in our ecosystems.

This is not the first time that I have spoken on issues of the environment and it will not be the last. It is about time that the government showed some leadership and developed some long-term goals. In recent years, we have read a number of disturbing reports about the state of the global environment, but what action do we see from this government? Pretty close to nothing. The government disregards the problems damaging our environment and blatantly refuses to commit to international efforts to combat climate change. Thanks to the Howard government, our leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been appalling and the government’s failure to ratify the Kyoto agreement has sacrificed our position as a leader in international negotiations.

Australians are now more concerned about the health of our environment—and, considering the current circumstances, we should be. More than ever, we are witnessing the devastating effects that humanity is having on our environment. But, fortunately, it is not all doom and gloom. I would like to commend the South Australian Labor government for their commitment to environmental policies and to listening to the concerns of the South Australian people in taking an active role on environmental issues.

The South Australian government has recently announced a series of initiatives, which I would like to outline to the House. By 1 January 2009, the use of single-use plastic bags will be banned in our state. The government has also converted 535 buses and 95 railcars to using biodiesel fuels, making Adelaide’s public transport fleet the greenest in Australia. South Australia now easily leads the nation in wind power, solar power and water recycling. Thanks to the South Australian government, the latest SA wind farm will save 300,000 tonnes of CO from being pumped into the atmosphere—the equivalent of taking 70,000 cars off the road.

South Australia’s state Parliament House is now powered by solar energy, our state library is in the process of converting to solar energy and the government is currently installing 250 solar panels on the roofs of 250 South Australian schools. These are examples of innovative and long-term policies. I call on the Howard government to show us some more. This is the kind of leadership that the federal government should be demonstrating. I commend our South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, for both his vision and his leadership when it comes to tackling environmental issues. I just think it is an absolute pity for all of us, as Australians and, indeed, as members of the global community, that we do not have some national leadership from our federal government.