FIONA POOLE, HOST: Well Pat Conroy is the Shadow Minister Assisting for Climate Change and he is heading to Glasgow this afternoon. Pat Conroy, thanks for being here, good morning.
PAT CONROY, SHADOW MINISTER ASSISTING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Good morning Fiona.
POOLE: Thousands of leaders, scientists, and activists across the globe there in Glasgow. You're leaving this afternoon. Can you explain to us why as a shadow minister you're heading there?
CONROY: Well standard practice which has been the case for the last 15 years is that the Opposition, the alternate government, sends a representative, sends what's called an Australian observer to observe what's going on, to take meetings, and to really observe the proceedings up front and personal because often things are happening behind closed doors at the conference that aren't apparent from half the world away. So when we were last in government, Greg Hunt who was the Shadow Minister for the Environment would attend representing the then Liberal Opposition. So it's a really important opportunity for the alternate government to understand what's happening at Glasgow.
POOLE: We haven't seen Labor's climate policy yet. Will you have anything to contribute to the conversation, or are you there just in an observational capacity?
CONROY: Oh no, I'll be meeting with as many international delegations as possible and NGOs and I'll be making the point that Labor has been committed to net zero emissions by 2050 for a number of years. And we've already announced some strong policies around Rewiring the Nation with a $20 billion fund to get more renewable energy into the grid to lower power prices and reduce emissions, and other policies around electric vehicles and community batteries, and that we've already signaled that we will be taking a more ambitious 2030 target to the election.
So I’ll be assuring international delegations that while Mr Morrison is speaking on behalf of the Australian Government, if there's a change of government next year, they can expect a more progressive climate change policy.
POOLE: Right now, Australia has a reputation as a laggard not a leader on climate change, but this summit is all about uniting the world. Can you unite behind the elected Prime Minister right now to achieve the goal that he has committed to there in Glasgow?
CONROY: Well he'll be negotiating on behalf of the Australian Government. Obviously nothing I do will cut across that. I'll just be there to understand what's going on and make it clear that if there's an alternate government elected next year that they can expect to see more climate action from Australia.
But you're absolutely right that we are seen as a laggard. This Government has been dragged kicking and screaming to a 2050 target, and they've refused to commit to a more ambitious 2030 target which is really what the world needs. What the world has said, and what this conference, this climate conference is all about is countries around the world lifting their ambitions. If we're to have any chance of reducing global warming to only one and a half degrees, we need more emissions reductions by 2030. That's why the United States, for example, has increased their target to cutting emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and the UK a similar number. So we're a laggard, and that's hurting us economically.
POOLE: Why didn't you all go together? Why are you not on Scott Morrison's flight over there?
CONROY: Well, that's a question for Mr Morrison. In the letter approving the travel, they specifically ruled out making space on the Air Force jet that is taking him his entourage, including a photographer, and lots of media. He's taking 27 people in his team including a photographer, so one would have thought it'd be cheaper for taxpayers if there was a seat made available for myself, but that's the Prime Minister's prerogative. And that's just how we're going to have to handle it.
POOLE: And who will be going with you?
CONROY: I'll be having a media advisor to help because obviously we'll be running on a shoestring, so we'll be trying to get lots of information back to Australia about what's happening around the conference. But I'll be the sole representative of the alternate government there.
POOLE: No family members going with you?
CONROY: No definitely not, definitely not. We'll be travelling on a shoestring and we'll be in and out as quickly as is practical. This is about getting information, talking to international delegations about the need for strong action on climate change. There'll be no side trips to look up my family history or anything like that.
POOLE: Thank you for clarifying that Pat Conroy. What do you hope to get out of COP26?
CONROY: I want to get a feel for what the rest of the world is doing because if you read some of the newspapers down here, you’d think that Australia was leading the world and we're not. We're global laggards. As I said, the United States is ramping up action, so is Europe, and I want to talk to those delegations to get an understanding of what policies are working for them - that'll inform Labor's policy - and what are the economic opportunities because this is what's being missed in the debate is that there are huge opportunities for new industries in Australia by taking action on climate change. Whether it's lithium mining, making lithium batteries for electric vehicles, whether it's light metals, green steel, green aluminium, there’s great opportunities, but we're not seizing them under this Government. So that's my main purpose for going over.
POOLE: Do you agree with Scott Morrison's position of not telling other countries what to do, or would you like to see him put more pressure on some of the big emitters like China and Russia?
CONROY: Well I think the truth is he can't tell other countries what to do because we're at the back of the pack. It will be utter hypocrisy for him to be encouraging other countries to do more when we are probably the worst country in the developed world in terms of taking action on climate change. This Government has an embarrassing record on climate change, so that's why Mr Morrison can't lecture anyone. It would be a stance of utter hypocrisy if he tried to.
POOLE: When will we see Labor's climate policy announced?
CONROY: We've stated that we will announce it well before the next election so people can have a clear choice. We've already announced key parts of it. As I said, $20 billion for lower power prices and getting more renewables into the grid, an electric vehicle policy that will lower the cost of electric vehicles by up to $9,000, community solar batteries are just three of the big announcements we've already made.
But we'll release the full policy before the next election. It'll be more ambitious than the Government's one. It will drive more job creation and really give us the opportunity to seize the economic opportunities from taking action on climate change.
POOLE: Do you think the next election will be the climate election, or is there another issue you see as bigger for Australia right now?
CONROY: I think there are a lot of issues. Obviously recovering from the COVID pandemic. What Anthony Albanese, our Labor leader has made clear is that taking action on climate change is part of a theme that we will be taken to the next election which is about building back better. We want to build a better society, one with more jobs, more high paying, more secure jobs with better health care and better support for our families. And so taking action on climate change will be part of that broader theme that we will take to the next election.
POOLE: We’ll leave it there. Pat Conroy, thanks for being here.
CONROY: Thanks, have a great morning.