Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. I refer the minister to his answer in question time yesterday regarding AJ Bush & Sons, in which he stated that the carbon price is:

… cutting their electricity bill in half.

Will the minister confirm that the carbon tax actually increased the liability of AJ Bush & Sons by up to $1.4 million all up and that the government had to bail them out with a $6 million direct grant?

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for his question. What a load of misrepresentative garbage, as usual, from the coalition! What absolute rubbish! The AJ Bush & Sons facility is a liable entity under the carbon price. Out of the carbon price revenue, the government established a number of programs, one of which is the Clean Technology Investment Program. There are particular funds for the food processing sector. What a difference it is making to facilities in the meat industry in particular! We have spent a lot of time discussing the meat processing sector with players in the industry, working with them on the issues. With the application of simple technologies, which I have outlined on a number of occasions in question time—including the covering of settlement ponds to capture methane gas and the installation of remote-site electricity generation capacity—they are not only able to reduce—

Mr Randall interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Canning is warned.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, a point of order on relevance: the question was whether or not there was a $6 million grant.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Flinders will resume his seat.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The grant of course has been publicly announced—quite some time ago, in fact. The shadow minister has really achieved something. He has found a press release which announces it. So I am not quite sure why he is asking.

We have worked with that industry and, by capturing their methane emissions and installing remote-site electricity generation capacity, they can reduce their emissions significantly. Some of the facilities eliminate their carbon price liability altogether, while others significantly reduce their carbon price liability. They can generate electricity, which they can then supply to their own facility. Some meat processing facilities not only supply all their own energy but sell some into the electricity grid and gain another source of revenue. Others are investing in different technologies and are finding, as the manager of the AJ Bush & Sons facility at Bromelton has found, that the carbon price is an important incentive which has a positive environmental outcome, a positive commercial outcome and makes them more competitive. Businesses, with the assistance of government working with them through the Clean Technology Investment program, are achieving those important outcomes. Why on earth would you oppose that?

We have introduced a reform which is demonstrably economically responsible, environmentally effective and socially fair, yet all the other side of politics can do is deceive, misrepresent and run the most mendacious campaign we have ever seen. They are creating uncertainty for the business sector and uncertainty for investors in renewable energy. They are a complete farce on this issue.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to table the minister's announcement of a $6 million grant to AJ Bush & Sons.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the minister's got it.

Leave not granted.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, a point of order: the minister is required to say either yes or no, not to make a comment, saying, 'I think the minister's got it'. He needs to come back to the dispatch box and—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. When people take points of order, they are not meant to enter debate.