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In just his third sitting week, independent ACT senator David Pocock has cracked it and uttered the unparliamentary word "bullshit" in the Senate chamber when dealing with parliamentary climate sceptics.
Yes, there are still Australian parliamentarians debating whether climate change is real.
The "bullshit" came out during a drawn-out Senate debate on the Albanese government's signature climate change bill to enshrine a 43 per cent emission reduction target. With Senator Pocock's support, the legislation later passed the Senate, delivering a major boost to Labor's climate action agenda.
This includes contributions on Einstein's theory of relativity, photons and clearly unsupported claims that no "empirical scientific evidence" exists of man's involvement in the changing climate.
"I don't actually follow scientists. I actually follow the mathematics behind the science," Queensland LNP Senator Gerrard Rennick told the Senate.
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A clearly frustrated Senator Pocock took to his feet on Thursday to offer a withering assessment of the debate, particularly the attempts to debunk climate science.
"It seems like a pretty sad day in Australia, where in 2022, we are hearing arguments about climate science. After however long of the bullshit that Australians have had to... " he began, before being stopped by Senator Clair Chandler who was sitting in the chair.
"That language is not parliamentary. I ask that you withdraw," she said.
Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson interjected that it was not the first utterance of "bullshit" in the Senate, but he was overruled.
Senator Pocock cheekily offered, "I withdraw this truth." And this was accepted.
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