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

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Whilst working part-time as a minister, the full-time COP president signed Australia up to an international agreement which would see crucial industries phased out of existence. The Minister for Resources has previously said:

… Australia's coal and gas resources are essential for energy security, stability and reliability both domestically and across the Asia-Pacific and will be needed for decades.

Whilst working as a part-time minister, did the full-time COP president consult the Minister for Resources before signing this executive order?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question and I thank a coalition member for having the bravery to ask a question about unity in this House. That shows considerable fortitude on his behalf. The honourable member has been quite active in the discussions on that side about the future of the Liberal Party and the coalition.

Now, the honourable member asked me about a declaration, which Australia did signed up to, on the transition that's underway around the world, and apparently this is controversial. Well, given the honourable member asked me who I consulted with, I'm not sure if he checked with the shadow minister for energy, who said on 11 November 2021:

… we understand that the world is moving, that the world is transitioning and we understand that that transition is taking place … we understand that new fuels and new energy sources will be required, and we want to make sure, as the globe transitions, we're very much part of that, and our resources sector will be very much part of that …

Well said!

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

The Member for Cowper is warned.

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

That's effectively what I said. The Leader of the Opposition said just last year:

I'm pro renewables because we all need to make the renewable energy transition.

I could go on. Shall I go on? Okay. The Leader of the Opposition said: 'And there's always a lot of common sense, but you always find with country people no-one is saying we shouldn't transition to renewables.' That's quite right, and we're saying we should transition to renewables and the United Kingdom is saying we should transition to renewables.

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

Order, the Leader of the Opposition. I'm trying to take a point of order from one of your members. The member for Groom will raise his point of order.

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

On relevance, there is nothing in this question about the opposition. El Presidente is off on a frolic on this one. I would bring him back to the question.

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

Resume your seat. I'd like the minister to return to the question he was asked about. He wasn't asked about alternative policies or anything. Before I deal with that, that was an abuse of the standing orders. The member for Groom will also leave the chamber under 94(a).

The member for Groom then left the chamber.

Opposition members interjecting—

No. I don't know how clear I can make it. I don't want to get to a point where I'm not taking points of order, as has happened before. I'd ask everyone to be reasonable.

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

Perhaps it will be helpful to the opposition if I explain what a transition is. It is a gradual move towards more renewable energy. It's happening in Australia, with October being the first month in Australian history that we got 50 per cent of our electricity from renewables. That's what a transition looks like. It takes time. As it happens, the same transition is happening around the world. Now for the first time globally we have more energy from electricity than coal. That's the first time that's happened. It just happened in the first six months of this year.

The member asked me about the Minister for Resources and I. The Minister for Resources and I agree entirely, and we are working closely together on this transition because we agree that, as that transition occurs, we need gas as a back-up for renewables because it is a flexible fuel. We agree that we need gas to help with heavy industry. We agree that we need gas for those five million homes that use it for home heating. The Minister for Resources and I more than agree; we are working closely together on the gas market review, which we will be saying more about imminently.

That's what policy work looks like on the side of the House that agrees on the fundamentals about climate change. Those opposite can't even agree on whether climate change is real, so I don't think we need any advice from anybody on that side of the House. We have been dealing with 10 years of denial and neglect. (Time expired)