Senator WATERS (Queensland) (18:24): I rise to speak on this matter of public importance about our Prime Minister's continued denial of the reality of climate change and his continued mealy-mouthed approach to meeting our global responsibilities to assist countries that will suffer from our profligate use of fossil fuels. I am from Queensland, where it has been obvious to all both observing and protesting against the Prime Minister's refusal to put climate change on the G20 agenda that he was totally out of step with the world and out of step with community expectations. Of course, when China and the US reached agreement on emissions targets the Prime Minister was totally gazumped and shown for the laggard and the spoiler that he is.
