Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I presume hidden in that mouthful of abuse there is actually a question about the management of the program, and I am going to the management of the program. On the management of the program, this program was first announced by the member for Wentworth in 2007. It was stated then that it would close in 2012. Even when the member for Wentworth announced it when he was Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, he was on the public record at that time as saying, 'Once you have a carbon price, you do not need specific policies to support solar hot water.' I think the member for Wentworth is recognising that statement.

After the closure of this scheme from 1 July, there will be a number of ways in which solar hot water purchases are supported. First and foremost, obviously under carbon pricing there is an incentive for change; second, under the renewable energy scheme, households installing the typical solar water system will still receive between $800 and $1,000 in renewable energy certificates; and then, of course, under the carbon pricing scheme through the Low Carbon Communities Program there is assistance available, particularly to enable low-income communities to make the transition to carbon pricing—so of course consideration can be made to the use of solar energy for hot water in that context.

In answer to the Leader of the Opposition's question, the scheme was always due for closure on 30 June this year, an announcement made yesterday by the relevant parliamentary secretary about the time by which people would need to have effected their purchase in order to be eligible for the rebate.

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