Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How are homes, businesses and community groups embracing the opportunities of clean energy, and what obstacles stand in the way of that clean energy?

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. As the Prime Minister said, since yesterday's update another 1,000 Australians have embraced the opportunity to reduce their bills and emissions by installing a battery under the Albanese government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program, so we're now at 44,895.

It's not just households. We call it the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, but it also applies to small businesses, farms and community groups. The member for Robertson knows that, because he and I visited the Umina Surf Life Saving Club, which has a wonderful solar array and an excellent battery, which has been installed with the help of the great company RESINC, who have used the policy to donate more batteries to surf life saving clubs to reduce their bills, emissions and running costs, which is an excellent thing. Umina is a wonderful surf live saving club, and it is great to see them reducing their emissions and bills.

It's not just community groups—as I said, it's also small businesses and farmers. That's why rural uptake has been so good. The Cheaper Home Battery Program got a very good response this morning when I spoke at the Farming Forever National Summit, organised by Farmers for Climate Action. There were 300 rural people and farmers there advocating. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was there last night, the assistant minister has been there, and they were very pleased to hear that update this morning as well.

The member asked me about people who aren't embracing the opportunities, and, of course, they sit opposite. We've seen another example this morning of the process that the opposition is undertaking. My shadow minister the member for Wannon was on ABC radio this morning and was asked to give an update on the net zero review. He said: 'Look, we've always said it will take nine to 12 months. We want to do it methodically. We want to make sure we get it right. There's no more important area for us to make sure we get it right.' It warms your heart to see such process, such diligence, such calm, methodical management! He said the review would take 12 months. He said it would take a year. It didn't take an hour, because 60 minutes later Senator Canavan took to social media to announce he would be introducing a bill to repeal net zero in the Senate. Now we have two bills—not one but two—from the opposition to repeal net zero. The government has introduced 24 bills since the election to do things like lock in penalty rates in law, to reduce HECS debts by 20 per cent, and for cheaper medicines. Those are our priorities. Those opposite had the priorities of fighting themselves about who hates net zero the most. Whether Senator Canavan or the member for New England or the member for Canning or others get the limelight—they're all in an arms race to show that they are more right wing, that they are more out of touch with modern Australia than the others. They want to show they are more willing to ignore the opportunities for rural and regional Australia, for Australia to create jobs and investment, and for our country to seize the economic opportunity that is action on climate change, rather than ignore those opportunities like those opposite did for a decade.