Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tomorrow in Newcastle an end-of-project celebration will be held to mark the successful conclusion of the Energy Hunter program. Newcastle City Council, the Hunter Business Chamber and Hunter TAFE came together to develop this program which provides businesses with a range of cost-saving information and tools to better manage their energy consumption. In the two years since its launch, 350 small- and medium-sized businesses have benefited. They have learned ways to reduce the amount of power they use, which ultimately saves them money on their power bills. Collectively, more than $1.1 million has been saved by local businesses through this program, resulting in 4,200 fewer tonnes of carbon pollution being emitted each year. I congratulate the work of the council, the chamber and the TAFE for their efforts in delivering this excellent project.

Energy Hunter was one of a range of measures funded through the former Labor government's carbon price. The project received over $1.3 million through the Energy Efficiency Information Grants scheme. The Save Watts initiative by the Lake Macquarie Business Growth Centre was another similar project that received funding through the carbon price. In fact, more than $8 million was spent in the Hunter region for projects of this kind. A range of Hunter councils and businesses shared in this funding and used it to improve their energy efficiency in buildings and community facilities. This was all funded by the carbon price.

So, whilst my colleagues in the Hunter celebrate the conclusion of an outstanding program tomorrow, I ask them to acknowledge the unfortunate fact that there will be few more programs like it. This Liberal government has an embarrassing record when it comes to investment in clean energy technology and energy efficiency. The abolition of a market based carbon price is one of the most backward moves made by a First World economy in recent history. Whilst the rest of the world, including China and the United States, are putting a price on pollution, we are abolishing ours.

Yesterday in Senate estimates it was revealed that, of the 144 projects awarded contracts under the government's so-called Emissions Reduction Fund auction, all but 37 of them were pre-existing projects funded through the now-defunct Carbon Farming Initiative. From these 37 new projects, an additional 10 million tonnes of abatement has been secured—but the outlay from the government is an extra $660 million. Only this coalition government could congratulate themselves on turning a polluter-pays model into one where the taxpayer foots the bill. Only this Prime Minister could travel the country for years on end spreading untruths and fear about a carbon price that started at $23 per tonne and was due to fall to around $8 per tonne and then develop a policy that pays $66 per tonne to polluters for the same thing.

Investment in renewable energy has virtually collapsed under the Abbott government because of their refusal to commit to an adequate renewable energy target. Meanwhile, investment around the world has grown exponentially. For no other reason than their ideological opposition to clean energy, the Prime Minister and this Liberal government have recklessly sent Australian jobs overseas. The Hunter is home to researchers, designers, manufacturers and workers in the sector who have been impacted on by this.

Recently, I met with stakeholders from my region. They warned me in no uncertain terms that the uncertainties around the RET negotiations and the government's clear intention to reduce support for renewables is having a negative effect on investment in their industry. They tell me that it was not just the RET review that hurt their business but that investment in the Australian market stagnated months before the election of this coalition government from those who could see the writing on the wall. These same businesses tell me they have been forced to make long-term, experienced staff redundant as a result. As a country, we cannot afford to lose these skills and this knowledge to our offshore competitors. That people are losing their jobs in what should be a flourishing industry is regrettable. That it is as a direct result of the government's refusal to negotiate in a productive way is utterly shameful.

Labor have taken the pragmatic approach of negotiating a compromise on the RET with this government and have pledged to increase it to a more ambitious level in government. Importantly, we will do this in consultation with the industry and finance sectors.

Debate interrupted.

House adjourned at 21:30