Man drowns as Sydney floods continue; NSW SES commissioner warns area dams above 100% capacity – as it happened
Man drowns after boat capsizes in Abbotsford; vaccination mandates to ease on international flights; PM says ADF available as thousands are urged to evacuate in Sydney flood crisis; 30 Covid deaths recorded nationwide. This blog is now closed
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Karvelas asks about that time Pocock was arrested for chaining himself to mining equipment to protest against a coalmine expansion in New South Wales and whether, given this history, whether he could support legislation that would allow the construction of new mines.
Pocock answers that the IPCC was very clear" that keeping warming below 2C means we can't approve and open up new fossil fuel projects" but adds we have to actually be getting targets in place and then having the policy to have an orderly transition to renewables".
My sense is that the community does want something legislated. We actually have to be able to legislate something and move forward and so I'm committed to being constructive when it comes to action to make sure we legislate something, and look at other ways how to ramp that up over time but crucially to be looking after regional communities who have relied on fossil fuels for generations.
In terms of the 43%, I have been very open saying that I'd like to see a higher target, but my sense is that what Australians really want is a target to be legislated. We have to actually bank some of these gains and I want to see a target with integrity. There's some real concerns about the way that we're actually getting to whatever target we set and that will be my focus.
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