Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I will talk about MRET if I have time: $5 billion worth of cross-subsidy from industry, $3 billion worth of investment going on as a result of MRET. I am happy to talk to you about MRET, but let’s go back to the issue of nuclear energy. Australia needs to consider nuclear energy as an option. The Leader of the Opposition can stand up there and talk about carbon trading, talk about Kyoto—and, most recently, throw in carbon capture and storage—but when we put all our technologies together you cannot leave out the one proven technology that generates baseload electricity without emitting CO. That is the harsh reality.

What we have in Australia under the Howard government is a set of policies designed to not only meet our Kyoto target, to not only participate if there is a global scheme following Kyoto, but also ensure that, while the debate goes on about how we establish a global scheme, we are putting in place practical measures that will lower greenhouse gas emissions, practical measures that see industry partner with government to ensure that Australia continues to lead the world in technologies like building the largest solar electricity generator in the world—which, as its own promoter, David Holland, said in his own words last week, would never have happened without the Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund. Whether we ever see the technologies developed that rely on further investment by industry will depend on the continuation of this government. (Time expired)

Question put:

That the motion (That the motion (Mr Beazley’s) be agreed to.) be agreed to.

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