Peter Khalil (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you; the member for Cowan has pointed out correctly that 22 different energy plans were completely blown up by the Liberal party room over a number of years. Maybe you want to oppose us getting on with it because you couldn't get on with it. For the first time in a decade, this parliament has an opportunity to put measures in place to reduce emissions from our biggest emitters.

Some honourable members may call for higher targets—we've heard that from many here—or feel that this isn't enough. To those members and those parties, I say: this government will work together with you in good faith towards emissions reduction. We would all agree that it would be great to have 100 per cent renewable energy by tomorrow, but our massive continent demands a network that covers thousands of kilometres and all types of terrains and climates. Our electricity system, our grid, is hopelessly and desperately outdated and cannot yet properly integrate the full capacity of the growing renewables sector. So let's unlock the potential. That's why we have a plan for $20 billion of investment into our electricity system, our grid, to make it up-to-date for renewable energy. That's what that is about.

We know that the opposition and others might want to make this a political issue. Maybe they're opposing because they want play politics, again. They want to move out of their party room and the destruction of their 22 energy plans over how ever many years to blow up any chance of us moving forward as a nation. But let's be sensible and rational here. We'll never make a start if we don't have people on the other side make the commitment and understand the need for the national interest, and for their kids' future as well. That's why we need real action on climate change. This government is the only party that is delivering action on climate change. We need people to get behind this. We need the opposition to understand the importance of this for the future of Australian business and Australian industry, and that the transition is going to happen whether they like it or not. We need others who feel that this is enough and to get behind this and not make the perfect the enemy of the good.

I have always found in politics that, if you are being attacked from each end of the spectrum with people on both sides saying it is either not good enough or they'll never support it, if you are somewhere in the sensible centre, you're doing the right thing most of the time or pretty much all the time. That's where we are right now. We are in the sensible centre looking towards reducing emissions and transitioning to a renewable energy future while making sure the transition is feasible for Australian industry and Australian business. And yet we have people, members on either side of us, who wish to not support this sensible step forward. We need crossbench support, we need everyone's support, even the opposition's support. A few of them might see the light here and put the national interest ahead of their party and political interest. Maybe—stranger things have happened.

But if the parliament votes against this policy, those opposite will be voting against emissions reductions. They'll be voting against a plan to transition Australian business and industry. They'll be voting against a future where we transition to renewable energy and all the benefits from that for our nation and for our climate. They'll be voting against any action on climate change. They'll be voting against a safe future for Australians. I call on the members in this place to consider the safeguard mechanism, to consider this bill on its merits and everything that it does for the future of Australian business and our reduction in emissions going forward. Maybe, just maybe, some might see the light and understand the importance of this bill for the national interest. I hope they do, and I hope the crossbench do as well, and that we get the support we need to move forward so that we can start investing in the transmission grid, getting it ready for the renewable energy future that is inevitable, despite those who think it will never come. I call on the members opposite to consider this bill in good faith and consider the important elements of this bill for business and for the future of renewable energy in this country. Hopefully, some of them might actually vote for it.

See this speech in context