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representatives vote 2023-09-14#1
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2024-01-26 18:17:30
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Title
Motions — Climate Change: Threat and Risk Assessment- Motions - Climate Change: Threat and Risk Assessment - Let a vote happen
Description
<p class="speaker">Zali Steggall</p><p>I seek leave to move the following motion:</p>-
- The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debates/?id=2023-09-14.10.2) introduced by Warringah MP [Zali Steggall](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/warringah/zali_steggall) (Independent). The motion was to suspend the usual rules - known as standing orders - in order to let another vote take place. Because it was unsuccessful, that other vote can not occur.
- ### Motion text
- > *That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Warringah moving the following motion—*
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- > *That this House:*
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- > *(1) notes that:*
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- >> *(a) the Australian Government received its first climate and security risk assessment, carried out by the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) in late 2022;*
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- >> *(b) if similar to risk assessments undertaken by other nations including Australia's allies, the ONI climate risk assessment is likely to have concluded that:*
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- >>> *(i) the world is dangerously off track to meet the Paris Agreement goals, that security risks are compounding and that the impacts will be devastating in the coming decades; and*
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- >>> *(ii) in the Asia-Pacific region, states will fail and climate impacts will drive political instability, greater national insecurity and forced migration fuelling regional conflict; and*
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- >> *(c) despite numerous requests, the Government has refused to release a declassified version of the ONI report or indicate any policy changes based on the risks identified in the report;*
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- >> *(d) climate change is rapidly accelerating, leading to intensifying extreme weather events and human catastrophes around the world, including humanitarian crises in Hawaii, Greece and now Libya;*
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- >> *(e) Australia's allies including the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in conjunction with the European Union have all released declassified versions of climate national security risk assessments; and*
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- >> *(f) this week retired defence chiefs briefed Members of Parliament on the national security risks emerging from climate change, outlining what strategies and actions are needed to protect the nation; and*
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- > *(2) calls on the Government to:*
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- >> *(a) urgently release a declassified version of the ONI climate security risk assessment report; and*
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- >> *(b) outline the specific climate related security threats to Australia and the specific responses the Government proposes to undertake in response to each of those threats.*
<p class="italic">That this House:</p><p class="italic">(1) notes that:</p><p class="italic">(a) the Australian Government received its first climate and security risk assessment, carried out by the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) in late 2022;</p><p class="italic">(b) if similar to risk assessments undertaken by other nations including Australia's allies, the ONI climate risk assessment is likely to have concluded that:</p><p class="italic">(i) the world is dangerously off track to meet the Paris Agreement goals, that security risks are compounding and that the impacts will be devastating in the coming decades; and</p><p class="italic">(ii) in the Asia-Pacific region, states will fail and climate impacts will drive political instability, greater national insecurity and forced migration fuelling regional conflict; and</p><p class="italic">(c) despite numerous requests, the Government has refused to release a declassified version of the ONI report or indicate any policy changes based on the risks identified in the report;</p><p class="italic">(d) climate change is rapidly accelerating, leading to intensifying extreme weather events and human catastrophes around the world, including humanitarian crises in Hawaii, Greece and now Libya;</p><p class="italic">(e) Australia's allies including the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in conjunction with the European Union have all released declassified versions of climate national security risk assessments; and</p><p class="italic">(f) this week retired defence chiefs briefed Members of Parliament on the national security risks emerging from climate change, outlining what strategies and actions are needed to protect the nation; and</p><p class="italic">(2) calls on the Government to:</p><p class="italic">(a) urgently release a declassified version of the ONI climate security risk assessment report; and</p><p class="italic">(b) outline the specific climate related security threats to Australia and the specific responses the Government proposes to undertake in response to each of those threats.</p><p>Leave not granted.</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Warringah moving the following motion—</p><p class="italic">That this House:</p><p class="italic">(1) notes that:</p><p class="italic">(a) the Australian Government received its first climate and security risk assessment, carried out by the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) in late 2022;</p><p class="italic">(b) if similar to risk assessments undertaken by other nations including Australia's allies, the ONI climate risk assessment is likely to have concluded that:</p><p class="italic">(i) the world is dangerously off track to meet the Paris Agreement goals, that security risks are compounding and that the impacts will be devastating in the coming decades; and</p><p class="italic">(ii) in the Asia-Pacific region, states will fail and climate impacts will drive political instability, greater national insecurity and forced migration fuelling regional conflict; and</p><p class="italic">(c) despite numerous requests, the Government has refused to release a declassified version of the ONI report or indicate any policy changes based on the risks identified in the report;</p><p class="italic">(d) climate change is rapidly accelerating, leading to intensifying extreme weather events and human catastrophes around the world, including humanitarian crises in Hawaii, Greece and now Libya;</p><p class="italic">(e) Australia's allies including the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in conjunction with the European Union have all released declassified versions of climate national security risk assessments; and</p><p class="italic">(f) this week retired defence chiefs briefed Members of Parliament on the national security risks emerging from climate change, outlining what strategies and actions are needed to protect the nation; and</p><p class="italic">(2) calls on the Government to:</p><p class="italic">(a) urgently release a declassified version of the ONI climate security risk assessment report; and</p><p class="italic">(b) outline the specific climate related security threats to Australia and the specific responses the Government proposes to undertake in response to each of those threats.</p><p>I move to suspend standing orders to urgently debate this motion, because this goes to the heart of Australia's national security. This motion calls on the government to urgently release a declassified version of the Office of National Intelligence report addressing Australia's climate threat and risk assessment. The government has had this report on its desk for 10 months now. Australians are entitled to know the threats and risks they face and whether their government is developing a strategy to address those risks. This is an urgent issue that should, in fact, be debated with urgency—in particular, in the terms set out in the motion.</p><p>The recent disasters in other nations highlight the level of threat and risk that is now being caused by worsening and accelerating global heating. A humanitarian crisis is currently unfolding in Libya. More than 5,300 people have been killed and at least 10,000 are missing, after unprecedented rainfall caused two major dams to collapse, resulting in entire communities being washed away, with many bodies swept out to sea. After Storm Daniel triggered catastrophic flooding in Greece, Turkiye and Bulgaria last week, Libya's national centre of meteorology reported that that storm had dropped a record 414 millimetres of rain, which is more than 16 inches, in just 24 hours.</p><p>The catastrophe in Libya is just the latest in a seemingly never-ending series of fossil-fuelled, unnatural disasters that have wrought havoc on cities and towns around the world over the past three months. These disasters, now occurring almost daily, have been driven by the unprecedented, record sea and air temperatures that have left scientists around the world shocked. And yet, in Australia, the government continues with business as usual, approving coal and gas projects, refusing to acknowledge the urgency and severity of the situation and to increase their action.</p><p>This is not about mitigation. I appreciate that efforts are being made on that front, but, sadly, there is now so much warming and emissions baked into the system that we are now seeing an escalation of consequences and risks.</p><p>Australians remember all too well the events of 2019—the bushfires, then the floods. As we see from events around the world, these safety risks and threats are increasing. That is why it's urgent to debate this motion and why I've moved to suspend standing orders, since leave is not granted to deal with the situation.</p><p>It's urgent that Australia understands the level of threat and risk it faces from cascading and compounding national security threats that are now emerging from accelerating global heating or, as the UN describes it, 'global boiling'. National security is a core responsibility of every government, and effectively identifying threats is fundamental to a government's ability to ensure the security of its citizens.</p><p>I appreciate the presence of the Minister for Climate Change and Energy here, but, respectfully, that is on the question of mitigation and the preparation for domestic disasters. The key question is: how prepared are we in national security and defence? I think the failure of the Minister for Defence to be here to address this motion shows the government still does not recognise the national security threat posed by accelerating global warming.</p><p>There is a gaping hole in Australia's national security, and that has been clearly identified by our allies, but it has been kept secret from the Australian public.</p><p>The <i>Defence </i><i>strategic review</i>, released in April 2023, contained only a brief reference to climate change threats, acknowledging climate change as a national security issue, noting that it will increase the challenges for Australia and its defence, in particular noting that accelerating climate events risk overwhelming the government's capacity and the ADF's capacity to respond effectively and defend Australia. But this is only a reference in relation to the use of ADF personnel in responding to catastrophes. There is no mention of the internationally accepted findings that the impacts of climate change will drive regional instability and conflict in our region, with mass population displacement, food and water insecurity and major catastrophes impacting Australia's safety. With respect, AUKUS submarines will not protect Australians from these threats, and there appears to be very little focus or strategy to respond to a threat in this respect.</p><p>In late 2022 the government received a risk assessment from the Office of National Intelligence focused on national security threats emerging from now rapidly accelerating global warming. Australia's allies, including the US, the UK, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, in conjunction with the EU, have all released declassified versions of climate security risk assessment, yet the Australian government has repeatedly rejected calls from former Australian Defence chiefs and members of the crossbench to publicly release a declassified version of the climate security risk assessment. If the ONI report makes similar conclusions to climate risk assessments completed by other nations, including Australia's allies, it likely includes findings that the world is dangerously off track to meet the Paris Agreement goals. It would also likely draw the conclusion that security risks emerging from climate change are compounding and will have devastating impacts in the coming decades.</p><p>A similar risk assessment conducted by the UK government funded security think tank Chatham House in 2021 concluded that cascading climate impacts will drive political instability and greater national insecurity and fuel regional and international conflict. The now two-year-old risk assessment found that global crop yields will likely drop by 30 per cent by 2050 at the same time that food demand is set to increase by 50 per cent. Earlier this year the <i>Turning the tide</i> report found that the world will face the prospect of a 40 per cent shortfall in our freshwater supply by as soon as 2030. While food and water shortages may not immediately impact Australia, the indirect impacts resulting from geopolitical instability and mass migration in our region should be of immense concern to all members of parliament.</p><p>In its own publicly released risk assessment, the US National Intelligence Council identified our region of South-East Asia as one of two regions of great concern. It identifies Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and a number of Pacific Island nations as highly vulnerable to climate change. The US report singles out India, Pakistan and Burma as countries of particular concern as they are at extreme risk of experiencing regional conflict over shared water resources, from the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau. This effectively puts hundreds of millions of people in our region at risk of severe food and water shortages in the near term. The resulting humanitarian crisis would be at a scale never before seen in the world and would result in unprecedented waves of mass migration, geopolitical instability and conflict in our region. How can Australia possibly secure its borders in the face of that kind of mass migration and that level of climate refugees in South-East Asia?</p><p>Former Australian Defence chiefs note we would simply be overwhelmed by such events. That is why it is crucial that Australia develop a strategy for how to mitigate these risks in our national security. Ensuring food and water security in our region could be our greatest weapon in defending Australia against such threats. The World Economic Forum places failure to mitigate climate change as the No. 1 global risk over the next decade. Second is failure of climate change adaptation, followed by natural disasters and extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. The risk of traditional military conflict through geoeconomic confrontation is much lower; it is listed at No. 9. This week crossbenchers were briefed by former Defence chief retired Admiral Chris Barrie and retired Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn, who clearly stated that climate disruption is the greatest threat to the future security of Australians and to the global relationship between states. They have made it their mission for the past four years to highlight the now undeniable truth that climate change is by far the biggest security threat facing Australia.</p><p>Why is the Australian government keeping secret from the Australian people what it knows about the magnitude of this threat? Why have the other political parties and relevant committees of the Senate and House of Representatives not been briefed on the contents of the ONI report? How can members of parliament effectively discharge their duties and oversee policymaking and departmental performance in the defence, climate, immigration, intelligence and foreign affairs portfolios when crucial information pertaining to climate risk has not been available to them? Elected officials cannot do their jobs in making and reviewing climate policy when they are kept in the dark by the government about the true scale of the security risks. So I call for this to be released and I call on the members of the opposition who pride themselves on being focused on security and safety to address this risk. This is the greatest threat to Australia's safety and security and must be addressed.</p> <p class="speaker">Ross Vasta</p><p>Is the motion seconded?</p> <p class='motion-notice motion-notice-truncated'>Long debate text truncated.</p>-
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