Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question on the subject of coal. It gives me the opportunity of recalling some memorable remarks by her leader, the member for Maribyrnong, who said on the ABC some years back: 'We are going to keep a coal industry. For some people who believe the way to solve climate change is to shut down coal, that answer is not going to give you any joy at all.' It does not seem to be giving the member for Sydney any joy!

The member for Maribyrnong went on, 'We're also supporting clean coal technology.' Whilst people have fierce and competing ideas, the member for Maribyrnong observes—showing he has the makings of a geologist—'Australia does have a lot of coal.' Simply saying you are not going to dig that up any more as of tomorrow is not the way to run the economy. It is however apparently the way to run the Labor Party.

The honourable member's question completely fails to understand the objective of the government's energy policy. It is, as I have said, to ensure that energy is affordable, that it is secure and reliable, and that we meet our emission reduction commitments—meaning, addressing the trilemma. As far as ensuring that it is secure and affordable we need to have an all-of-the-above approach.

As I said at the Press Club at the beginning of the year, and as Labor member after Labor member have said—and there is a long list with quotes similar to those I just read out—coal will be part of Australia's and the world's energy mix for many, many years to come. In fact, Penny Wong, accurately quoting the International Energy Agency, said some years back that it will be part of the world's mix, playing a big role, until past the 2050s. And she is right. She is absolutely right. They also made a great commitment to carbon capture and storage, which now apparently they have abandoned. The important thing is to get the mix right to ensure that energy is affordable.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

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