PM: Here in Copenhagen there is barely one day to go and my responsibility for the next 24 hours is to work, work and work. And I will work as long as is necessary to try and bring about a strong agreement here for Australia and for the world.
Every leader will be putting their shoulder to the wheel, I intend to be putting my shoulder to the wheel in order to bring about such an agreement. The task is difficult but there is still the possibility of an agreement. As I said today in my remarks to the conference at large - the kids of Australia and the kids of the world, are looking very carefully at what their leaders are doing in Copenhagen today.
They are looking, they are listening and they are hoping, and they are expecting that we can deliver a strong result. That is a difficult task but my job over the 24 hours is to do everything humanely possible to try and bring about such a strong agreement.
Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) China emissions. Where do you stand?
PM: Well there are ways in which we can deal with the verification challenge by a combination of international and national means. Whether or not that forms a basis for agreement between the Americans and the Chinese and therefore with the conference at large, remains to be seen. That is one area where we are actively engaged right now.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Well there were statements earlier today by a Chinese official unnamed as reported in Reuters, along the lines that you've just described. I also noticed that later in the day, one of the Chinese Ministers indicated that they were still involved in the negotiations in an attempt to bring about an outcome.
High level discussions continue with not just the Chinese but with other nations as well to try and bring about a strong agreement. As I said earlier today those comments from a Chinese official, albeit unnamed, were disappointing. And I would have hoped and I still hope that a great power like China would still be actively engaged in trying to bring about a strong agreement. As I said high level discussions and negotiations are underway as we speak and I am on my way back the Conference Centre.
Well, on the question of the AIOSS state, the organisation of small island states, some forty or so around the world. These were front and centre of our attention at the most recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Trinidad and Tobago. You may recall that at that Conference, we Australia, were asked by the Chair of that conference to chair the drafting of the communiqué, which dealt specifically with the need for a funding stream, a fast funding stream, that would also help the small island states with the immediate task of adaptation, of the type I have just now been discussing with my friend and colleague the President of the Maldives.
After that the United States through the White House, issued a statement in support of that fast funding stream, of up to $10 billion per year for the next 3 years, because these small island states need adaptation funding support now. Not just the Maldives, but Tuvalu and Kiribati and others. I have been working very closely with these governments now in order to try and secure that as part of this agreement, we are making real progress on this front - obviously there is still more to be done.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: We are still in the middle of a negotiation. Our policy is clear. We will do not less or no more than the rest of the world. What remains unclear at this stage is what the rest of the world will do. Therefore our policy remains as always stated, the range is as stated, the Europeans commitment remains conditional, as do a number of other countries as well.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Well can I say the positive statement by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today concerning long term finance to support adaptation mitigation by the most vulnerable economies in the world has had an effect on the negotiations. How it is ultimately translated remains to be seen. We have got 24 hours to go. Arguably a late night this evening, there is supposed to be a dinner on, I imagine there will be a lot of negotiation in and around the dinner table with Heads of Government who are still to reach final positions.
So I draw your attention to what has happened today, we ourselves and others have been working closely with the Americans on the question of climate change finance. It is significant that that statement was delivered here on the second last day of the conference by the Americans but we still have a long, long way to go and it is going to be very hard.
Karen?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: When you are talking about the States involved, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the PM of Ethiopia, the President of the Maldives, I have been working with these Heads of Government frankly all day, at various stages of the day. They obviously have been expressing their own views directly to the Chinese, I am aware of that, and as we have just participated in a debate on part of these matters, it is a question of making sure that our friends in China are aware fully of the impact of their actions on the developing world and the most vulnerable states as well. As we in the developed world must be conscious of frankly the historical impact we have had as well. Hence, the position that we and others have taken on the need to support through finance the adaptation needs of these economies. Mark?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Because this figure is still the subject of significant negotiation, and I draw your attention carefully to the language used by the US Secretary of State, which is America would be prepared to support the international community working towards a 2020 target of 100 billion. This has a long way to go and as far as the discussions this evening are concerned, my response as I have said in the past of these questions, Australia will always do its fair share. That remains our position and that is the position of all responsible developed countries, because at the end of the day we need to try and do what is responsible and reasonable to bring about an overall agreement.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
PM: Mister?
JOURNALIST: Sorry - Mr Abbott.
PM: Oh, sorry. I was not being funny, I just couldn't, it is just the noise.
JOURNALIST: Mr Abbott said he could make significant cuts in greenhouse gases from planting trees (inaudible)?
PM: Well, for example, let me just say this about the Government's policy on a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Under our policy, farmers will make money out of carbon (inaudible) under the CPRS by generating offset credits that they can then sell as part of the scheme. That is what we have laid out. That is our policy, it is clear cut, it is there in black and white.
Can I strongly suggest that the Leader of the Liberal Party spend some time, put in the hard yards and develop a detailed policy on climate change. We are seeing far too much policy on the run. Climate change is a serious challenge for Australia and the world. It requires well thought out policies at home.
We have a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, which puts a cap on carbon, which charges the biggest polluters, which compensates working families.
So far as I have seen the Liberal Party's approach - their policy, it doesn't put a cap on pollution, it doesn't charge the biggest polluters, it doesn't compensate families. And it is all funded supposedly by some huge rolling magic pudding. That is the difference.
On the question you just raised I'd suggest the hard yards be put in to develop a policy. I really do have to zip. Thanks.