House debates Questions without Notice
Advertising Campaigns
Peter Garrett Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Heritage
2:52 pm
My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. Can the minister confirm that since 1996 the Howard government has spent $1.8 billion on advertising and only $878 million on climate change programs? Minister, how much money was spent on the taxpayer funded ‘climate clever’ mail out from its inception—including design costs, market testing, staffing and production—to the time it was cancelled?
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
The first part of the honourable member’s question has a false premise in it because the statement he has made about spending on climate change is simply wrong. The government has committed $3.5 billion—
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services
Spent?
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
We have spent and committed $3 billion to $3½ billion directly on climate change mitigation and a gigantic amount of money in addition to that to climate change adaptation. The $10 billion National Plan for Water Security alone can be viewed as the single largest climate change adaptation measure of its kind anywhere in the world.
Lindsay Tanner Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
Mr Tanner interjecting
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
As far as the ‘climate clever’ campaign is concerned, the honourable member asked what was the cost between inception and cancellation. I do not know whether the honourable member in his efforts to minimise energy usage has sold his television set, but the campaign is underway now and it is on television.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Albanese interjecting
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
The brochures will be mailed out to people who request them and they will be distributed in newspapers. We have made a decision to get the maximum coverage of these important issues. We are all committed, I thought, on both sides of the House to energy efficiency, but apparently not on the Labor side of the House.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Mr Albanese interjecting
Malcolm Turnbull Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
How else can we encourage households to be efficient in their use of energy without telling them what options are available to them? Both the first and second parts of his answer are built on a false premise.