Climate Change Summit Opening
George Negus
Good morning folks. For those of you who were born on Mars or have been too sensible to watch television for a few years, my name is George Negus. Welcome to this Victorian Government Climate Change Summit with a very clever title, I think: A Climate for Opportunity, which is very tricky. I don’t know who thought of that, but it sums things up.
Welcome to the Premier and eight of his ministers, I believe, at some point in time. Nine of the buggers in the same room at the same time, we could really cause some damage today if we got serious about it. But welcome to the ministers, and to you folk as delegates. A particular welcome, and this is a sign of the times, if ever I’ve heard it, to those of you who are out there joining us via the live web cam of today’s proceedings, or at least parts of it. Everyone who’s online at the moment is also welcome to join us, would you believe, during the day, during our live chat, which is starting at about 10.50. And the web cam will have a special guest, Dr. David Karoly – I hope I pronounced his name correctly – is the federation fellow at the School of Earth Sciences at Melbourne Uni.
The results and the ideas and the issues that are raised here today in the online forum will be relayed back to the summit later in the day. The outline of the day is set out in your agenda, which you’ve all got, I hope, in front of you, so basically you’ll know how things are going to happen, but I’ll give you a few clues in a moment.
Today, as you probably have realised, as the government sees it, kick starts an important conversation with Victorians about how Victoria will tackle climate change in the next ten years, and I presume beyond that. I don’t think in ten years time we’re going to kid ourselves if we’ve solved the problem. So on that note – and I’m your traffic cop for the day, by the way, which if there’s any trouble and, I wish I was sitting there rather than standing here, then I could actually call the cops and have you thrown out – but I’m directing proceedings. I feel quite privileged to be here because we all know how important this issue is.
Just by way of diversion, somebody asked me a ridiculous question two weeks after the Federal Election on November 24th: can you sum up the change? I said, “Well, normally I’d say that’s a pretty stupid question and the answer is even likely to be sillier.” I said, “Two words: Penny Wong.” Could you imagine the previous regime in this country appointing a woman of Asian descent to probably the most important portfolio in the world, if not certainly in this country at the moment. The previous government would have got none out of three for that I suspect. Not a woman, not a woman of Asian descent in the most important portfolio. So I think we might be getting our priorities right.
Would you please give us a welcome to country, some of you Victorians probably know much better than I do, but I know of her and respect her enormously, Dr. Joy Murphy.
Welcome to Country
Doctor Joy Murphy
Thanks George. I feel like I’m going to do a diva or something in a minute. I’d like to begin by paying my respects to my father and, of course, our ancestors and all of our ancestors of this great country, and particularly here on Wurundjeri country. I also pay my respects to those that have gone before us, and acknowledge the presence of an Aboriginal brother that’s with us today and any other indigenous people that might be at this forum.
To the Premier and the many ministers and the delegates, it is a great honour for me to be here today and I was quite excited when I got the phone call. As I was sitting down thinking and looking around my rather sick garden at the moment, was saying to myself, “Gee, over 200 years ago we wouldn’t have been faced with this dilemma,” and somehow felt a great sense of warmth and felt that I needed to stress that, because things have changed, and as George just said, we’re certainly not going to address all of this issues and fix them up in ten years. But for me, I would just like to say to you that we’re just finishing what we call the luck season, where the females have migrated down into the sea to join with their male partners. But I know from my many years of experiences down on the Birrarung or the Yarra is that there is not too much of that friendliness going on because there are too little of our girls around at the moment.
Can I just say to you that I have a few minutes and it’s rather great to have some times to be able to put a point of view across. I could talk to you about all the magic words that there are that go around about low carbon, renewable energies, sustainability – all of that. But you know, I think for me, the most important part of this government initiative, and I think they need to be congratulated, is the web cam technology. I just know from my involvement over a life time, is that we’ve not been able to get it out there to the people, reach those people that really need to have a voice and need to be involved in issues. So I just think that that’s a great initiative. And I guess for me, the other thing is, of course, about working together. Our community, we really face a very dire situation, given that we’re quite opposite to mainstream. We have a very young population. In ten years time, those numbers of our community will be doubled if not tripled. I just look for a future for our youth and hope that they can stand up and that they can be involved and they can help to make a change to some of those many old ways.
When we talk about rebuilding land, about our connection to country, about why we feel so important, about where we are and who we are and what we can do, I am again reminded of who I am, that I come from the oldest living culture in the world. And it is true to say that thousands and thousands of years of experience have been somewhat ignored. But I guess if you’re still able to have that presence, and I’ve been given that opportunity today, is to remind people that our people were probably the greatest conservationist engineers, architects of the land. They had a relationship with all of the universe. They were not disconnected from anything because they listened, and they were heard because they lived by the law of the land.
For me as a senior elder of the Wurundjeri people, and being known as the Mana Gum people, again I am constantly reminded when I use my gum leaves for the symbolic welcome, is to say to you that there is still some life on this planet. Life is so important to all aspects. Even when I’m looking at the gum leaves and am about to pick them, I feel a shudder because I think that I should leave them there. But they are there for a purpose, and that purpose is for you to know that we are on Wurundjeri country. And the sharing of these leaves is equally important. It’s not only about protocol. It’s not only about the observance of the law of this land. But it is about where this tree comes from, and that’s the roots of the earth. And that’s something that we all know that we all now need to look after and to do something about what is happening to this land. So from these leaves, I want to say to you that the extending these leaves to you means that you are welcome to everything from the tops of the trees to the roots of the Earth. And importantly for the summit today is that we need to be, and we are, linked symbolically. For me, acceptance of these leaves means that I’d like to thank you because you join with me to honour the spirits of our ancestors who have nurtured this land for many, many thousands of years.
It is a great pleasure to be here today. And you are most welcome to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people. Thanks.
George Negus
Thank you, Joy. I don’t know about you, but I actually feel immensely proud every time I’m welcomed to country. I find myself – I’m old enough I guess – to remember when we didn’t do it. To me, it’s a sign of our maturity as a country that we do it almost without even thinking about it these days at events, occasions, situations we do that. Thank you very much, Joy. And for God sake, don’t even send us a bill for the rent.
A bit of rules of engagement before we get into this thing. The all important toilets are outside, outside the chamber, as you probably know. The Parliament House bells have been made available. They will sound for time to move back into the chamber, into the next session, whatever needs to be done. And please, I would say as a person who had done this sort of thing a bit, I know the important conversation you’re having with somebody out there is the most conversation in the world, but try to belt up and get back in when you’re asked to, because otherwise the whole program goes to bits. Respect this marvellous building and the environment of Parliament House that we’re in. Stay within the areas, if you don’t mind, that have been designated for this summit: this chamber and the assigned break-out rooms outside in Queens Hall. You’re being filmed, by the way, at the moment, so now is a time to turn off those bloody mobiles. If you’ve got a Blackberry particularly, watch it, because you can knock those things back to an on position without even trying. It’s another sign of the times that we can well do without.
It’s an extremely ambitious full agenda. I found myself saying this to the organisers when we met. If you get through what’s on that piece of paper for you to get through, it will be a miracle, but I wish you well. But it’s important therefore, that whoever speaks, and you’ll all get your opportunity to do it, either here or at the break-out sessions, get to the point and speak precisely. I guess you could say leave your hobby horse out in the street, but you’re allowed to bring the barrow in that you want to push as well.
Microphones in front of you are not on, so if you want to speak at any point during the day, please raise your hand and identify yourself too, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea when you get hold of it. And one of the departmental staff will bring you a microphone, so be patient. Everyone that wants to speak we hope will be given a chance to speak during the day.
A couple of comments from an outsider’s perspective – relative – I am a person concerned with the whole climate change issue myself. I’m a human being and I don’t think anybody could be other than concerned. Just a little story. How fast this has changed. Had I told you two years ago that this would be happening, you wouldn’t believe me. On October, 2006, when Al Gore was in this country, I interviewed him. In the course of the interview, I said to him the Prime Minister of the day, without naming names, doesn’t seem terribly impressed by the fact that you’re in the country. His ministers seemed to be even less impressed. They were suggesting you were a bit of a clown who couldn’t become president so now you’re running around and making documentaries and big noting yourself. And he said, “Yeah, I noticed that.” He said, “I like John Howard. He’s a good guy. But he’s a bit of a flat earther on this issue.” I said, “Is that right?” I said, “You said that; not me.” And he said, “Yeah, sort of like George Bush and John Howard are the sort of Bonnie and Clyde of the whole environmental debate.” I said, “Bonnie and Clyde? Which one is which?” He said, “Well, I’ve always seen this as a very bonnie country.” I said, “So I presume the other bloke is Clyde.” He said, “That’s right.” I said, “Well, let me think about that for a moment. I remember that movie. Weren’t they crooks? Weren’t they law breakers? Are you suggesting that John Howard and George Bush are breaking international law where environmental controls and climate change are concerned and Kyoto?” And he said, “You said that; not me.” I said, “I’ll take that as a yes.” And off we went. So that was in October, 2006. And if you’re looking for roll-on points, I don’t know that we would be here today doing what we’re doing, had Gore and people like him not stirred our imagination and our thoughts and our consciences about this whole thing. Now we don’t think this is a terribly unusual thing, as unique as it is. But that’s the perspective in which I’ve found myself thinking about it.
On that note, would you please introduce John Brumby, the Premier, who will outline exactly why we are here.
