Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This is a very technical bill. The federal opposition supports it. Underlying it is energy, and I am not going to take a backwards step when it comes to representing the interests of the Ryan electorate and the people of Ryan—who I have the great honour of representing here in parliament for the third occasion—and their participating in contributing to and engaging in the energy debate.

We all know that so many of the world’s population are excluded from a full and fruitful lifestyle because, really, of fate. If we in the developing world can contribute in some large or small way then we should do that. I should say in concluding my remarks that, interestingly enough, some 30 per cent of the world’s population still live without electricity. Of the global population only one in six has access to the energy necessary for the high standards of living that we in this country enjoy. A billion people use over half the world’s energy and, by contrast, the billion poorest use only four per cent. We, in a very rich and prosperous country with a $22 billion budget surplus left by the Howard government, must surely be in a position where we can invest in technology and provide rebates and incentives that send a very strong public message and contribute to renewable energies that make our world a better place.

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