CANBERRA 28 October 2021
Deputy Speaker,
What a shambles we’ve seen from those opposite when it comes to climate policy.
What a remarkable attempt to pull the wool over Australians’ eyes.
What a phenomenal scam they’re perpetrating against this country, with their announcement of a Net Zero by 2050 “Plan”.
It uses that term very loosely, since it features no new policy, no new funding, nothing binding them to stick to it, and an excessive reliance on vague “technological breakthroughs”.
A “plan” relying on technology that doesn’t even exist yet.
The Emissions Reduction Minister said it himself: “The plan is based on our existing policies.”
Nothing. New.
It’s a joke, Deputy Speaker.
Net zero modelling, net zero legislation, net zero increase from Tony Abbott’s medium-term target set seven years ago.
And Australians have yet to learn what this backroom wheeling and dealing between the Liberals and Nationals over their children’s future is actually going to cost them.
For weeks we’ve watched them gamble the future of this country, ending up with a deal that has so far netted just one regional Australian a new job – Resources Minister Keith Pitt, who gets to rejoin Cabinet.
Never mind the fact that he doesn’t believe in climate change. He’s the first beneficiary of this deal.
And this particularly stings, because while they’re promoting themselves, those opposite have been costing Australians their jobs.
We know that under this Government, 2,700 clean energy jobs have disappeared.
We know that the quarterly average of new clean energy capacity is down 70 per cent since 2018, when Scott Morrison became leader.
It’s a legacy of failure and rhetorical bluster.
This Government has been running scared from action on climate for a decade.
We’ve seen what wreckers they’ve been of good policy, taking down good leaders – including their own former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
How fortunate, then, Deputy Speaker, that someone in this place has a real plan for a real future for real action on climate change.
Labor has a policy to rewire the national electricity grid with renewables.
Labor has a policy to introduce community batteries around the country for people who can’t afford a household battery.
Labor has a policy to cut taxes on EVs, electric vehicles, to make them more affordable.
Labor has a policy to reduce emissions and cut power bills.
We have a policy to train up apprentices in the new renewables jobs of the future.
Labor knows that tackling climate change is the world’s biggest challenge.
And it’s Australia’s biggest opportunity.
We have an absolute abundance of natural resources, Deputy Speaker.
We have hydro power. We can harness wind power.
We get so much sunshine – Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent in the world.
The Northern Territory alone gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
We get far beyond our domestic demand, and we can meet the increasing demands of the region.
And harnessing solar is sustainable, and would go a long way towards abating national carbon emissions.
It’s a win-win.
Up in the Territory, Sun Cable’s Australia-ASEAN Power Link is a major national strategic interest, and it’s progressing well.
Just this week, it was announced that Singapore will import up to 4GW of electricity by 2035.
Singapore has a major demand for net zero electricity, and we can give it to them.
This is a golden opportunity for Australia.
Those opposite would do well to develop an actual plan to make the most of it.
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ENDS
