Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the government considering adopting a threshold that would subsidise new coal-fired power stations to be built under its clean energy target? Under this Prime Minister, is coal now clean energy? As a matter of government policy, are there any forms of energy that are not considered clean energy?

Mr Falinski interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question on the subject of coal. It gives me the opportunity of recalling some memorable remarks by her leader, the member for Maribyrnong, who said on the ABC some years back: 'We are going to keep a coal industry. For some people who believe the way to solve climate change is to shut down coal, that answer is not going to give you any joy at all.' It does not seem to be giving the member for Sydney any joy!

The member for Maribyrnong went on, 'We're also supporting clean coal technology.' Whilst people have fierce and competing ideas, the member for Maribyrnong observes—showing he has the makings of a geologist—'Australia does have a lot of coal.' Simply saying you are not going to dig that up any more as of tomorrow is not the way to run the economy. It is however apparently the way to run the Labor Party.

The honourable member's question completely fails to understand the objective of the government's energy policy. It is, as I have said, to ensure that energy is affordable, that it is secure and reliable, and that we meet our emission reduction commitments—meaning, addressing the trilemma. As far as ensuring that it is secure and affordable we need to have an all-of-the-above approach.

As I said at the Press Club at the beginning of the year, and as Labor member after Labor member have said—and there is a long list with quotes similar to those I just read out—coal will be part of Australia's and the world's energy mix for many, many years to come. In fact, Penny Wong, accurately quoting the International Energy Agency, said some years back that it will be part of the world's mix, playing a big role, until past the 2050s. And she is right. She is absolutely right. They also made a great commitment to carbon capture and storage, which now apparently they have abandoned. The important thing is to get the mix right to ensure that energy is affordable.

Mr Perrett interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is now warned.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are making the biggest commitment to pumped hydro—which makes renewables reliable, I should add, for the benefit of the member for Sydney—in Australia's history. That is our initiative. That is our commitment. That is the leadership we are providing to ensure Australia's energy future. Labor has ideology. It has politics. It has slogans. It has partisanship. It even has fake offers of bipartisanship. But what it does not have is a plan, because it ignores economics; it ignores engineering.

Finally, I would remind the member for Sydney that if you want to meet your emissions reduction obligations you have to reduce emissions. How you do that is, of course, of less concern than meeting the commitments. (Time expired)