Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question because it gives me an opportunity to say once again that this government is absolutely committed to action on the climate crisis. In fact, those opposite had 10 years to act. They had 22 separate climate and energy policies and didn't land a single one. What we've done, in contrast, in the 15 months or so since we were elected, is legislate a pathway to net zero, with an interim pollution reduction target of 43 per cent. We've set aside $20 billion for rewiring the nation, $2 billion for green hydrogen, $1.6 billion to electrify our homes and businesses, a national electric vehicle strategy—the list goes on and on.

What the Greens don't like to talk about is the number of renewable energy projects which we have approved. Of course, to get to 82 per cent renewable energy is an enormous task. This is probably the biggest industrial change this country will face in its history, to get to 82 per cent renewable energy. I have doubled the number of renewable energy projects approved, 11 renewable energy projects, with more than 100 renewable energy projects in the future already under assessment. What's interesting about those opposite is they're very keen to encourage me to approve renewable energy projects until there's a particular solar farm they don't like, a particular wind farm they don't like or a particular transmission line they don't like. This is an enormous change for our country.

See this speech in context