Received

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen says the government's climate change legislation will send a message to the global community about Australia's renewed action on reduction emissions.

The government's legislation enshrining a 43 per cent reduction in emissions reduction is set to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday before moving to be debated in the Senate.

The bill, which will also enshrine net-zero by 2050, is likely to pass the upper house as well, following the support of the Greens.

While Liberal MP Bridget Archer has indicated she would cross the floor on the bill, Mr Bowen said the opposition had failed to read the mood of the electorate in rejecting the legislation.

"I thank people from across the parliament for working with the government to make this a reality, the Liberal Party has made themselves irrelevant," he told ABC TV on Thursday.

"Australia is open for business to become a renewable energy powerhouse and we welcome investment in the transmission, shortage and renewables. This legislation is sending the message."

Following consultations with the Greens, the government agreed to ensure the emissions target could only go up in future, with a mechanism in place to increase its ambition.

There will also be greater transparency and strengthened requirements on the Climate Change Authority.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said the party had led to the bill's improvement.

However, the Greens will still move to oppose new coal and gas projects.

"We went into the process in good faith, always with the intention of improving this bill, which was really weak," she told ABC radio.

"But let's be clear, coal and gas and new coal and gas will blow this target pretty quickly. And that fight will continue."

ACT independent senator David Pocock said the 43 per cent target enshrined in the legislation was not high enough, but having certainty was important.

The crossbencher said he would further examine the bill once it goes to a committee before its introduction into the Senate.

"I'll be looking at it, continuing to work with Minister Bowen on what he's described as any sensible amendments from the crossbench," he told ABC TV on Thursday.

"It would be disingenuous of me to rubber stamp something before it comes before the Senate. I'm not here to rubber stamp the government bills of the Greens, I'm here to represent the ACT."

The government would need the support of all 12 Greens in the Senate as well as one additional crossbencher to pass the bill in the Senate.

Senator Pocock said it was reassuring the government and the Greens were able to come to an agreement on the climate bill.

"It's really important that we do legislate a target," he said.

"My job is to work with the crossbench, work with the government to ensure that whatever we do legislate come September does have integrity."

Liberal MP Bridget Archer indicated she would cross the floor and support the government's climate bill.

The Tasmanian MP said it was important to stand up for her community in supporting the legislation.

Opposition Leader in the Senate Simon Birmingham said he had respect for Ms Archer and her decision.

"From my perspective, if the 43 per cent target required legislation, then I would have wanted to vote for it in a heartbeat. However, it doesn't require legislation," he said.

"The test will now be in terms of that policy, making sure that it is a genuine policy for higher levels of emissions reduction, backed by credible policies attached to that."

© AAP 2022

Australia's biggest gun Emma McKeon has fired a final golden salute at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

McKeon won her sixth gold medal on the last night of competition at the Birmingham pool.

The dominant Dolphins collected 25 gold medals - three shy of the swim team's best-ever Games haul four years ago - 20 silver and 20 bronze in Birmingham.

Of the 52 finals, Australians won 25 of them. And they set the only two world records of the meet.

McKeon's six gold medals equals the record for most golds at a single Games shared by fellow swim greats Susie O'Neill and Ian Thorpe.

And her eight overall medals in Birmingham equals O'Neill's record for the most at a single Games.

McKeon had earlier broken the record for the career gold medals (14) and most career medals (20) at the Commonwealth Games.

"It's more than I could have expected," McKeon said.

On Wednesday night, McKeon helped Australia win the women's 4x100m medley to put not a full stop, but an exclamation point on the Dolphins' dominant campaign.

But Australia's men's 4x100m medley relay team was pipped by the Poms, propelled by a raucous parochial crowd.

England won by 0.08 seconds with Australia's Kyle Chalmers touched out by Tom Dean.

"I gave it everything I possibly could," said Chalmers, who ends his turbulent week with three gold medals and a silver.

"It would have been nice standing on top of the podium but it's a good way to finish the week."

Ariarne Titmus won the women's 400m freestyle to complete a rare triple treat: freestyle gold over 200m, 400m and 800m.

All Titmus' triumphs were in Commonwealth Games record times. And she was part of Australia's 4x200m freestyle team that set a world record.

"Australia really prides itself on success in the pool at Commonwealth Games," Titmus said.

"And potentially there's more pressure to win here than at the Olympics sometimes because we're so dominant."

Titmus' teammate Mollie O'Callaghan was on the 4x100 medley team and grabbed her fifth gold of the Games.

She also snared two silvers, morphing from rising to shooting star.

"It's pretty epic ... we all crushed it this week," the 18-year-old schoolgirl said.

Kaylee McKeown, another on the medley relay team, leaves Birmingham with four gold, a silver and a bronze in her collection.

"It's the way to end the competition ... we're all super-proud," McKeown said.

Stalwart Madi Wilson also departs with four golds, all in relays; Elijah Winnington won three.

And Sam Short on Wednesday night swam onto an illustrious list of Australians, including his idol Kieren Perkins and Grant Hackett, to be Commonwealth 1500m freestyle champion

"It's an extremely rich history ... I have a long way to get to their level but I'm on the right track," he said.

© AAP 2022

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is urging his opposition colleagues to be on the right side of history when a vote on climate change laws takes place.

Federal parliament will on Thursday meet for the last time until September with the lower house expected to pass the government's proposed laws.

The bill, introduced by Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen on the first sitting day of the new parliament, will set a carbon emissions cut target of 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.

Following consultations with the Greens, the government agreed to ensure the emissions target could only go up in future, with a mechanism in place to increase its ambition.

There will also be greater transparency and strengthened requirements on the Climate Change Authority.

A meeting of Liberal and Nationals MPs and senators on Tuesday affirmed the coalition's opposition to the bill.

But Liberal MP Bridget Archer indicated on Wednesday she would support Labor's primary bill.

"It's important to me that when I'm back in my own community, I'm able to sincerely say that I used the opportunity afforded to me with the power of my vote to stand up for what they want and need," she told parliament.

The coalition plans to update its emissions targets beyond its existing commitment to a 26-28 per cent reduction, and is weighing up a policy to back nuclear power, before the next election.

Mr Albanese urged those on the opposition benches to put aside conflict and arguments and take action on climate change.

"We have a great responsibility to this beautiful island continent that we live on to make sure that we act on climate change (and) this government will," Mr Albanese told parliament on Wednesday.

"Then we will tell our children that we stepped up, we took responsibility and we met the moment."

While hesitant to declare the climate wars over, Mr Bowen said they were "in retreat".

"We wanted the legislation to send the message to the world that Australia is open for business when it comes to renewable energy," he told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"We want to provide the policy certainty and the framework for that investment."

The government also assured regional Australians they would not be left behind by the transition to renewable energy.

"(Regions) powered Australia for so long and you will power Australia into the future with renewable energy that will create thousands of jobs going forward," Mr Bowen said.

"They will be, these regions, at the centrepiece of Australia being a renewable energy powerhouse."

Members of the crossbench welcomed the government's first steps towards climate action but want more commitments in future.

Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie described the bill as "the bare minimum".

"It contains no plans for how to reach the new emissions target and no plans for what will happen if we don't," he told parliament on Wednesday.

"The bill is a start, but one that also illustrates just how far we have to go."

© AAP 2022