Garth Hamilton (Groom, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emission Reduction. Will the minister outline to the House how our plan for net zero by 2050 will ensure that we strengthen our industries and create jobs as we bring down our emissions? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Groom for his question and for his continued support for a technology-led approach to reducing emissions. As the member for the area in and around Toowoomba, he represents one of the great energy and agricultural hubs of the world, and he, like so many constituents, understands that a technology-led approach to reducing emissions, using technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and regenerating our soils, is the key to maintaining a strong economy and strengthening our economy and bringing down emissions at the same time.

That's our plan; we've laid it out. Few countries in the world have—and those opposite certainly haven't. It's a plan that focuses on doing things the Australian way. It builds on the policies and initiatives that we have been announcing over a long period of time, including in recent months. As a result of those policies and initiatives, emissions are more than 20 per cent down since 2005. That's at a time when the economy has grown by 45 per cent. And get this: product exports during that time, when emissions have come down by 28 per cent, have grown by more than 200 per cent. That's success. That's what works, and our plan is about using what works. It respects the choices of Australian households and businesses, which is so crucial, and their right to choose—the right of farmers to choose how they want to farm and the right of Australians to choose the vehicles they want to drive and the food they want to eat. It's a plan for prosperity and for the regions to excel.

But I am asked about alternatives. The alternative is those opposite—who, seven times, have voted against a technology-led approach. The Leader of the Opposition describes it as absurd. But, worse, time after time, they have refused to tell Australians what their 2030 target is. But today they came into this place and they voted for a 60 per cent emissions reduction target.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's true. The Leader of the Opposition described the member for Maribyrnong's target of 45 per cent as a mistake. What no-one realised is that he is in favour of a 60 per cent target. He needs to explain which industries will be destroyed, which cattle are going to go, which mines are being closed, which industry is going to disappear and which regions are going to be destroyed. Those opposite need to explain all of that. We have laid out our plan. It's technology led. It is for the prosperity of Australia and Australians, and it respects the choices of all Australians.