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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Doesn't the creation of the Morrison-Joyce government mean there is no hope that this government will ever do the right thing by regional Australia and join the National Farmers Federation, the Business Council of Australia, major businesses and every state and territory government in committing to net zero emissions by 2050?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the opposition leader for the question. We will always do the right thing by jobs in regional Australia—always. I know that there are a couple of members on the Labor side—the member for Paterson and the member for Hunter—who are very much in favour of the resource sector and very much in favour of ensuring that there are jobs in mines going forward. And we will continue—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Deputy Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on direct relevance. There was no question about alternative policies in it.

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

That's true, but I allowed the Deputy Prime Minister to compare and contrast very briefly, and I'm sure he's done that. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We will always make sure that our policies—our climate policy and any other policy—will be in the best interests of jobs in this nation. Regional Australia is leading the way when it comes to taking responsible action on climate—absolutely it is. There is the fact that we've got so many solar farms; they're in regional Australia. Wind farms, whether you like them or not, are in regional Australia. Indeed, our agriculture industry—our farming sector—remains committed to making sure that it will play a leading role in lowering emissions into the future. Many farmers are committed to that very task right now. They're doing all the sorts of things that you would expect them to do.

I can remember that, when my late father, Lance, was a farmer, we would burn our stubble. These days, they're ploughing it back into the soil to provide those vital nutrients and nitrogen back to the soil. We're changing our farming practices for the better. We're improving our farming practices and we're also utilising technology. I'm proud that I sit on the side of government, that I sit on the side of this House that has invested considerably in GPS technology, which would have meant that my father wouldn't have had to rely on me going all over the paddock when I was driving the tractor—just probably to get out of the job. These days they steer themselves, and well done to the government for providing that vital assistance with funding for GPS technology and other technologies. I'll tell you what we'll do as a government to lead the way in making sure that we continue to lower our emissions: we'll do it through technology, not taxes. Taxes are the Labor way. They're the Greens way. We'll do it through technology.

And I'm proud to say that we're not only meeting but beating all of the international obligations we said we would meet. There are other countries clamouring at the moment to say a lot of things about climate, but we're beating them as well. We are beating the lower emissions that they are putting in place as well. We're 20 per cent lower since 2005. That's what we're doing, and we should be proud. We should be standing on the rooftops, next to our solar panels, saying, 'What a good job Australia is doing at lowering emissions.' And we will continue to do that. We'll do it through technology, not taxes.