Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Through the Emissions Reduction Fund we will provide incentives for abatement activities across the Australian economy, rather than by pushing up prices in the hope of making electricity unaffordable. The Emissions Reduction Fund will support projects such as upgrading commercial buildings for energy efficiency; improving energy efficiency elsewhere in homes and industrial facilities; reducing electricity generation emissions; capturing landfill gas; reducing waste coalmine gas; reforesting and revegetating marginal lands; improving Australia's agricultural soils; upgrading vehicles and improving transport logistics; and managing fires in savanna grasslands. Countries around the world, as the Minister for the Environment discussed in his second reading speech a number of weeks ago, are implementing the schemes which work best for them. In Australia, we will introduce the scheme that works best for Australia—not one that is going to be a $15.4 billion hit to the Australian economy.

At the moment in my electorate of Corangamite, and across the Geelong region, manufacturing is under particular pressure. Part of that is because of the cost of electricity. We must have the most competitive manufacturing sector we possibly can. I have spoken many times about the importance of advanced manufacturing and what our government is doing to invest in advanced manufacturing through our Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund, our growth fund, our strong investment in jobs and projects like the East West Link—another project that members opposite are opposing which will deliver in excess of 6,000 construction jobs. We cannot afford this toxic tax.

I want to make particular note of the member for Corio. Corio is an area which is particularly dependent on manufacturing and it is a poor reflection on the member for Corio's capacity to stand up for his electorate because he has remained silent on this tax. He has not stood up for his electorate; he has not stood up for manufacturing; he has not stood up for the many important employees and employers in his electorate and spoken out against this tax that he knows is driving up the cost of electricity and gas and really hurting manufacturers.

I am very proud to be speaking on these bills today. These are bills that will do much to improve Australia's economy and I commend these bills to the House.

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