House debates Questions without Notice
Climate Change
Wayne Swan Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer
2:42 pm
My question is directed to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer’s statement this morning that he would like to deal with the climate change challenge. Treasurer, why until this year was climate change not mentioned in any of the previous 11 budget speeches? Isn’t it the case that the Treasurer’s 2003 cabinet submission on emissions trading was blocked by the Prime Minister? Treasurer, isn’t it too late for an 11th-year pre-election climate change makeover?
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I think it was the 1999 budget where I put $100 million into the Australian Greenhouse Office.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
And then you shut it down!
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
I am sorry, but this was the government that put record funding into the Australian Greenhouse Office.
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage
And then you folded it.
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
This was the government that went on to set up the greenhouse challenge. This was the government that established the Natural Heritage Trust and then the National Action Plan on Salinity.
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage
Mr Garrett interjecting
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
This was the government that probably put more money into the environment than any other government in Australian history. I do not think that is challenged. Perhaps we could go back and have a look at the Hawke government. The high point of the Hawke government was Graham Richardson standing out at Wentworth, as I recall, and promising a million trees. The member for Grayndler is shaking his hand. Don’t shake your hand; I know Graham Richardson was a good factional friend of yours, Albo—a close personal friend. There was Richo, trampling on the fauna, trampling on the flora and promising to be a good environmentalist.
But that was the record of the Hawke government. We funded the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Action Plan on Salinity and the Greenhouse Office. We are the government that has launched an emissions trading scheme that I think is the best anywhere in the world.
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage
Mr Garrett interjecting
Peter Costello Higgins, Liberal Party, Treasurer
We are the government that has introduced photovoltaic rebates; we recently announced water tanks for every school; we have rebates for solar power. Mr Speaker, the more I think about it, this has been the greatest environmental government in the history of Australia.