Parliament Updates

TRANSCRIPT

I'm proud to show my stripes today, wearing this beautiful scarf presented to me this morning by the members of Common Grace. I'm not much of a knitter myself, so I appreciate the delicate work and time that has gone into crafting it. This scarf has an important message to all of us. The pattern is based on the famous climate stripe graph developed by climatologist Ed Hawkins, and shows the long-term increase in average global temperatures from 1850 to 2019 using a progression from cooler temperatures, represented in blue, to warmer temperatures, represented with red. Sadly, we are heading in the wrong direction, with global temperatures expected to rise by over three degrees. We need to act.

In a single creative piece of knitting, the warming of our planet is clear for all to see. Global warming will impact every aspect of our way of life, from our health, safety, jobs and economy to our environment. I thank the members of Common Grace for their passion in seeking change and for taking such a creative and unique approach to raising awareness of the need for climate action. I think Catherine Valpani from Warringah, who so thoughtfully knitted the piece that I wear today. This is a call for action that brought me to this place. How we act now will undoubtedly be our legacy. Too many members in this place are focused on personal ambition. We need that to stop and to focus on our futures and our children.