Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government getting on with the job of reducing emissions and acting on climate change? Are there any proposals the government is being asked to consider that would take Australia backwards?

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

I thank my honourable friend for the question. I can report to the House that Australia and Australians are making real progress when it comes to climate action. Today, we've seen the release of Australia's emission data, showing a reduction in Australia's emissions, in the year to March, of 6½ million tons in every sector apart from transport. That is Australia and Australians getting on with the job.

Australians are also getting on with the job of installing cheaper home batteries. I'm pleased to report to the House that, as of today, 36,592 Australian households have installed a cheaper home battery under the Albanese government's policy. I'm particularly pleased to tell the member for Gilmore that more of her constituents have introduced a cheaper home battery than any other electorate in New South Wales—a fact that we celebrated on my visit with the member for Gilmore to Dolphin Point last week when we visited Mike, who's just installed a cheaper home battery. I can tell the House that the second electorate in New South Wales for the record for installing cheaper home batteries is Richmond, so congratulations to the member and community of Richmond. The third is Page, so congratulations to the member for Page. What this shows is that, up and down the coast, all through regional Australia, Australians understand that what is good for the planet is good for their pocket. That's what regional Australians know. They know that they can get on with the job of reducing bills and emissions in their households just as we can elsewhere in the country.

The honourable member asked me if we're being asked to consider any alternative plans, and of course the House is. We know you can feel the tension in the air. The country is waiting with bated breath, on tenterhooks, to find out what the Canavan review might possibly recommend when it comes to net zero. He's been charged by the Leader of the Opposition and the National Party to tell them what they should do and what they should think about net zero, but not everyone is waiting for the results of the Canavan review. The Leader of the Nationals was out on the weekend, voting to scrap net zero at the LNP conference. We also saw the anti-net-zero bill introduced and formally moved this morning not by the member for New England, it turns out, but by the member for Wide Bay and seconded by the member for Groom. I will always yield to the member for New England!

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

The member for New England will have to state his point of order.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. Definitely on relevance. At the start he got the bill wrong, and now he's got the date it was introduced wrong. It was actually introduced quite a few weeks ago.

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

That's not a point of order. The member for New England has been here long enough to know that is an abuse of the standing orders, and he's now warned. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy will return to the question.

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

I was asked if the House and the government have been asked to consider any alternatives. We have been, by the coalition, because this bill was formally moved by a member of the National Party and seconded by a member of the Liberal Party. The member for New England has pointed out that his approach has the broad support of the coalition. Nothing unites them as much as opposing dealing with climate change. Nothing unites them as much as saying to regional Australia, 'We will do nothing about the challenge of climate change, which will see droughts and natural disasters increase their damage across regional Australia.' That's why regional Australia looks to this side of the House for leadership when it comes to climate.