Australia news live: Conroy says Canavan’s ‘fear and panic’ comments on climate report show Coalition is woefully out of touch

<p>Pat Conroy rejected Matt Canavan’s claims, saying the report instead demonstrated an urgent need to take action. Follow today’s news live</p><ul><li><p><strong>Get our </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl"><strong>breaking news email</strong></a><strong>, </strong><a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3"><strong>free app</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl"><strong>daily news podcast</strong></a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Matt Canavan says landmark climate assessment a ‘cynical attempt to spread fear and panic’</strong></p><p>Nationals senator <strong>Matt Canavan</strong> discounted the headlines behind the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/15/millions-of-australians-at-risk-from-rising-sea-levels-and-heat-deaths-could-soar-landmark-climate-report-warns">landmark national climate risk assessment</a>, saying the government had conveniently timed the report while calling the document a “cynical attempt to spread fear and panic among people”.</p><p>The problem is the headline figures are never as bad as the detailed science that underlies it. …</p><p>It reads like the Book of Daniel, not a government report. I mean, I like government reports that are sober and reasonable. … I think Australians like a government, that just tell them the truth and not try and scare them. We saw that during Covid. People are trying to scare you because they’ve got an agenda, right?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/sep/16/australia-news-live-sydney-airport-social-media-ban-anthony-albanese-chris-bowen-climate-crisis-carbon-emissions-png-treaty-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>