Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 2:02:38 to 2:07:42
Senator Roberts questions the inclusion of the Paris climate change agreement in the EU FTA, raising concerns about Australian sovereignty and potential trade sanctions for non-compliance.
Topics: EU free trade agreement, Climate change, National security
Speakers: Senator Malcolm Roberts, Senator The Hon Don Farrell, Unknown Speaker, Senator Raff Ciccone
>> Go for it.
>> Thank you for appearing tonight. My question is regarding the European Union free trade agreement and its chilling effect on Australian sovereignty. Others have unpicked the way in which this government has agreed to provisions it opposed in 2030 23 2023 in order to get the deal done. I won't go there again. My concern is this minister. Why was implementing the Paris climate change agreement included in the European Union free trade agreement?
>> Who was your question directed to? Senator Roberts.
>> Minister.
>> Okay. Could you repeat the question?
>> Why was implementing the Paris climate change agreement included in the EU FTA
Uh well um Australia under Malcolm Turble signed up to the Paris uh agreement. That was a commitment. Um the Labor government supports uh that agreement and the agreement simply reflects uh that we have entered into that uh that agreement.
The European Union, sorry, the UK free trade agreement also included an environmental section which used the same words international agreements always use non-binding words also called weasel words. There's nothing in the UK There's nothing binding in these agreements on the on Australia. Minister, did the European did the United Kingdom free trade agreement make the Paris agreement legally enforceable in Australia? And if so, please specify the wording which had that effect.
Um the Paris agreement is a separate uh agreement uh Senator Roberts and uh uh we have freely entered into that uh agreement uh and it's the intention of the government to honor the commitments that we entered into as I indicated before um that was entered into by Um, Prime Minister Turble, uh, the Australian government, the Albania government supports that provision and, uh, we intend to honor our obligations under the, um, Paris Agreement. Minister, the
European Union Free Trade Agreement requires Australia must implement the Paris Accord and creates a dispute resolution process, including penalties if we fail to comply. True or false?
Uh those questions were all answered earlier in the uh uh in the um in the proceedings. But
>> one word, true, false.
uh I think I can only repeat what I've already said. Um Senator Roberts, um Australia has freely entered into uh the Paris agreement. It's the Paris agreement uh that requires us to do certain things in conjunction with what we have agreed to do. Um it's the Paris agreement and our international obligations on that that impose uh requirements on Australia to uh to act in uh in a certain way. uh and it's the intention of the government to honor those proceedings.
>> Minister, are you aware that the Paris agreement was stitched together is in a way that makes it not an agreement after the embarrassment of the UN cop at Copenhagen. The next cop at they signed an agreement that said you can do basically whatever you want. China said we'll think about it in 2060, in 2050. India said we'll think about it in60. No commitment whatsoever. Australia is one of very few countries who signed their life away and wants to destroy our economy. That's not an agreement. That's a suicide note. The European Union free trade agreement requires implementation of the major pillars of the Paris agreement which you help which you helpfully list out on your website. It's a bloody long list. Any failure to implement any one of these will trigger the dispute resolution functions of the agreement resulting in trade sanctions or penalties against Australian produce. Meaning you've sold out our farmers. You've lured them lured them into a trap. You promised very slight benefits from the from the trade agreement and then they'll be they'll be sanctioned. They'll be cut off if if anyone dares go against the Paris agreement. Minister, how is that not making the Paris agreement legally binding? Sound >> you haven't denied that it's legally binding. >> You're just saying why that's necessary.