David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How many private properties will be impacted from the construction of the 28,000 kilometres in new poles and wires under the government's energy policy?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hume will cease interjecting. The member for Hume is warned. The House will come to order. The Leader of the Nationals was heard in silence. Members on my right! I will hear the minister in silence.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the National Party refers to the ISP, the Integrated System Plan. The 28,000 kilometres figure refers to the green energy superpower scenario under the Integrated System Plan. The 10,000 kilometres is the step change scenario.

The government is getting on with implementing the ISP through the Rewiring the Nation policy. Tomorrow, the nation's energy ministers will meet and review progress in reforming the regulatory process for transmission to improve community consultation and compensation. It's a process that has been started by this government, not started by the previous government, because we want to ensure communities are consulted properly.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister for infrastructure will cease interjecting. I give the call to the Leader of the Nationals on a point of order.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance: the question was very tight; it asked for a specific number of properties that will be impacted by the 28,000 kilometres of poles and wires.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You may resume your seat. Thank you for that. The minister is in order. He has been going for 40—

If you would let me finish, Leader of the Nationals. He's been going for 40 seconds. There was a specific question in there regarding a number, and I will ask the minister to return, when he's ready, to that part of the question. I give him the call.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the National Party asked me about the 28,000 kilometres, which is the green hydrogen superpower scenario. And those 28,000 kilometres are under a scenario that was prepared under the previous government.

As I said, Mr Speaker, energy ministers tomorrow will be reviewing the progress and reforming the RIT-T. We also will be hearing from the renewable energy commissioner, a federal government appointee, who has been working with the New South Wales state government and doing excellent work. Just this week they announced a new compensation regime for people impacted.

The Leader of the National Party is very concerned about social licence. I welcome his interest. I welcome his interest in the social licence of nuclear—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When the House comes to order, I'll ask the minister to address that part of the question. He's still got 1½ minutes to go. I'm listening carefully to his answer. He has three minutes to answer the question. There is no time constraint about when he has to answer. I'm listening carefully.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order. There's the normal rule about a point of order on direct relevance only being able to be taken once. The opposition, having already raised that, have now decided from the interjections to be shouting not at the government but, in fact, at you and about your ruling. I draw your attention to it, and in my role as Leader of the House I'd just urge that—

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my left will cease interjecting.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Interject on me as hard as you want, but you don't do it to the Speaker. You don't.

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting! I ask the minister to return to that part of the question. I told the House that I'm listening carefully to the answer.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll continue to work with the renewable energy commissioner and with my state and territory colleagues, and we'll continue to oppose your plans to put nuclear reactors right across Australia, plans that don't have much community support or licence either.