Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When will all 50,300 homes fitted with foil insulation under the Home Insulation Program have that insulation removed or safety electrical switches installed? When will the first removal or safety switch installation occur and when will the last removal or safety switch installation be completed?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It might not surprise the Senate to know that I do not have the date of the last removal on an inspection process which is being commenced. What I can refer senators to is the very extensive ministerial statement given by Minister Combet yesterday, which was very upfront about the significant issues associated with this program. He outlined a number of commitments. They include a commitment to remove foil insulation or, alternatively, to install safety switches in over 50,000 homes. This, of course, is as a result of advice received subsequently—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Shame nobody thought about that before.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Brandis, for that interjection. It might be useful if you got across the facts before interjecting. If Senator Brandis had taken the opportunity to read yesterday’s ministerial statement, he would be aware that that advice was not available to Minister Garrett and has been received only recently. The second commitment the government has made is to do a safety inspection in a minimum of 150,000 homes. This is, of course, in addition to—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on the matter of relevance. The minister has consistently referred to Minister Combet’s ministerial statement of yesterday as if it somehow contains  the information on time lines that the minister was asked about. That statement does not contain fixed time lines or firm time lines. Minister Wong should know that. That was the point of the question. Could the minister be drawn to the point of the question—the time lines for these installations or removals.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. I believe the minister is answering the question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has also indicated a commitment, as I said, that the government would undertake inspections of 150,000 homes in addition to the action taken in relation to foil insulation and he has made a number of comments in relation to more inspections. If the senator is not aware, at page 10 of the ministerial statement, Minister Combet goes on to indicate that he is working with the department on the development of the inspection program—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When is the first removal?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I could perhaps finish— (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. If we cannot get time lines, let us try costs. What is the total cost of these inspections, removals or installations? What funding has been allocated to fix the disasters which have plagued this program and will householders who have foil insulation removed be offered replacement insulation?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, in relation to the installations, I would remind the senator that the minister indicated what the numbers would be but he also indicated very openly to the Australian people, through the parliament, that we are developing the inspection program as a matter of the highest priority. In relation to costs, the Treasurer has made clear today publicly that this will be a matter considered in the budget. The government has been upfront about that. We recognise that there will be very significant—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Ignore the interjections. They are disorderly. Address your comments to the chair.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is extraordinary to hear the Liberal Party talking about back of envelope calculations. What were the calculations on the great big new tax? Would someone like to remind me of that? You cannot even work out whether it is $5 million in income or $5 million in profit.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Come back to the question, Senator Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the Treasurer made clear today publicly that we recognise there will be significant costs associated with this issue. Those costs will be worked through and will be dealt with as part of the budget process. (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. If the government is unable to tell us when this work will start, when it will be completed or how much it will cost, how can the 50,300 homeowners whose homes have been fitted with foil insulation or the 1.1 million homeowners who participated in this program have any confidence in Rudd Labor to fix this debacle?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has made clear our intentions in relation to this program. I also refer the senator to the minister’s statement yesterday, in which he stated that the Australian government will fund foil removal or safety switch installation. We have been clear. This is in relation to your first supplementary question, Senator Birmingham. If you had read the minister’s statement provided to the parliament yesterday, you would have had the answers to the questions you are asking.