Kids brainwashed on climate: Lib senator

Australian kids have been brainwashed about climate change, outspoken Liberal senator Ian Macdonald has told parliament.

While calling man-made global warming a "fad, farce or hoax" the Queensland senator labelled the climate change debate "nonsensical".

"The children of Australia have been brainwashed into thinking that if we turn off a light in Australia somehow that is going to stop climate change," he said on Wednesday.

He urged politicians to bring sense back into the debate and warned against ruining the economy by sending jobs offshore through "stupid" policies such as Labor's defunct carbon tax.

The senator doesn't deny the climate is changing but takes issue with the suggestion it's human induced.

"As I repeatedly say, Australia was once covered in ice - of course the climate changes."

Senator Macdonald pointed out Australia emits 1.2 per cent of the world's emissions and says drastically cutting emissions wouldn't have a large impact globally.