Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

My department has also written to installers reminding them of their particular obligations under the guidelines. Finally, I make this point to the member: I have also asked my department to specifically investigate the matter that he has raised in question time in relation to the installer in Bundaberg and report back to me by the close of business today.

And I want to add something more here—now that I have had the opportunity to answer the question that was put to me in some detail by the member—and that is that those opposite opposed putting ceiling insulation into the homes of Australians who want to reduce their energy costs and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It was the member for North Sydney specifically who opposed the fact that we thought that one way of getting jobs into regional communities would be to give people the opportunity to have ceiling insulation and to build local business at the same time.

Over 180,000 householders have taken the opportunity to have ceiling insulation in their roofs. Not only are they satisfying the obligations that they have to want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but they are reducing their energy costs as well. This is a program that is working extremely well. If there are any issues that need to be addressed, we will address them in a vigorous and assertive manner.

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