Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Warnings from Australia's top climate scientists today reinforce the danger of a gas-led COVID recovery, because the leaking of methane from gas production and pipelines has destroyed the gas cartel's claim that gas is cleaner than coal. There's now widespread opposition to your gas plan, including from former Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr, who says, 'If gas leaks at more than a rate of three per cent, it’s worse than coal.' Prime Minister, do you agree with Bob Carr, and isn't your plan for a so-called gas-led COVID recovery now in tatters?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know who does like our gas plan—the member for Hunter. He likes our gas plan. Maybe he's got a few friends who like our gas plan over there. I suspect there are a few others on the opposition benches who have a different view on what they feel about gas. The policy on gas is a bit confusing. What we know is this: gas is the important transition fuel for the changes in our energy needs for this country for the future. It does two things. The gas that we need for Australian jobs and for Australian industry is also the same gas which firms the renewable technologies that we're putting in our energy sector at record levels that enable the transition. That is why we want to see more of it. We want to get more out of the ground so that we can fuel the jobs that this country needs as we come out of the COVID-19 recession.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now, I can hear many interjections from the Labor side. I don't know if they're interjecting against each other on gas or against me, such is their confusion when it comes to gas. I suppose they can go down to the OTIS restaurant and get together. Another will go to another restaurant at another place to try and decide what their position on gas is.

This government knows that gas is necessary to fuel the recovery that this country will need coming out of the COVID-19 recession. We all support it. We're all behind it. I believe the Australian people will also support it.