Opened the debate
Hodgins-May argued that hosting COP31 in Adelaide represented a critical opportunity for Australia to demonstrate genuine global leadership on climate change. The senator contended that the Prime Minister should utilise all available diplomatic and political resources to secure the bid, characterising the failure to attend the previous conference as a significant omission. Hodgins-May emphasised the importance of aligning with Pacific neighbours, who have long been at the forefront of climate advocacy, and noted that their leaders see the gap between 1.5 and two degrees of warming as catastrophic for their survival. The senator asserted that Australia’s current status as a major exporter of fossil fuels undermined global emission cuts, citing a Western Australian government report on liquefied natural gas exports. Hodgins-May called for an immediate halt to new coal and gas project approvals and a committed transition to clean energy.