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

Thank you to the member for Deakin for the question. He has very strong credentials in the area of the environment and supports the government’s ongoing role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This government is taking a leading role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, not just here but across our region. In the last week we have seen the government invest some $250 million in groundbreaking projects under the Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund, and this morning we saw another key plank in our climate change strategy, with the Prime Minister announcing a further $60 million for 42 clean energy projects as part of Australia’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. This funding will help develop a suite of practical emission-reducing measures amongst partnership countries—technologies ranging from renewable energy to energy efficiency right through to clean coal.

While the rest of the world talks about what should be done, in just nine months six nations representing 50 per cent of the world’s economy, 50 per cent of the world’s people and 50 per cent of the world’s emissions have put in place the practical foundation for the solution to greenhouse gas emissions. Left behind, waiting for a clue, waiting for an idea, is the Labor Party, still clinging to old Kyoto, still wanting to impose unwanted and unfair costs on the economy, still wanting to send our industries—

See this speech in context