Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

But, of course, we know there is more to do as well. In addition to that, we know that long-term bill relief, long-term steps to reduce energy bills, really comes through investing in energy efficiency and in renewable energy. Businesses around Australia know what the opposition does not know—that renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy available in Australia.

Opposition members interjecting—

It sends them off every time when you talk about renewable energy being the cheapest! In they come, with the old anti-renewable energy interjections! We had a serving Liberal National Party senator today say that climate change is a scam. Senator Rennick today claimed that climate change is a scam. They didn't get the memo from the Australian people last May!

Businesses know that they need to invest—and they are investing—in renewable energy and energy efficiency. But they need support to do so, so the tax concession announced by the Treasurer on budget night, the 20 per cent tax concession for those investments, is vital and will apply to up to 3.8 million businesses across our country. Three point eight million small businesses will have that relief available, delivered by the Albanese government. That's part of our $1.7 billion energy relief program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, which will apply to households, will apply to businesses and, as announced last week, will apply to local governments as well, to help them reduce their rates bills, by converting to renewable energy and energy efficiency. That's what this government does, and 1 July will be a good day, because that relief will begin to flow. It will apply to energy bills after that day, and that's a very good thing.

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