Order of Business
Senator Ivana Bacik: I second it. I express gratitude to Senators O’Toole, McCarthy and
Hannigan for proposing at my request that we debate today No. 12 on the Order Paper, the Climate Protection Bill. I introduced that Bill in October 2007 with the support of Friends of the Earth and a coalition of environmental and development non-governmental organisations, all of whom are very concerned that we would see binding legislation committing the Government to making reductions in carbon emissions. Since we proposed that Bill, and at the time we were told the Government would provide extra time for a debate on it, the UK has introduced a climate protection Bill on very similar principles. We are seeing moves towards similar legislation in other countries and we are seeing an urgent deadline approaching at the Copenhagen talks this December. Senator Hannigan pointed out that this is an extremely urgent matter. The Green Party promised it would commit to a climate protection Bill, the Labour Party has proposed one in the Dail, and we are proposing that we debate this Bill today as the Government committed time to it. I would be very disappointed if the Green Party Senators voted against this proposed amendment to the Order of Business. It is a vital amendment. Other colleagues have raised the issue of posters, which is obviously an issue of particular interest to me. I would say that I am being told on doorsteps that I am better looking in real life than I am in my election posters.
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