Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Would you like to get up and speak, Senator, or could I finish? Of course, everybody in this chamber regards the deaths as tragedies. No-one on this side of the chamber regards them as anything less than that, and I hope there is no implication from that side of the chamber that that is the case. As Minister Garrett has said, they are deeply regrettable incidents, and our thoughts do go out to the families and friends of those involved.

I do not think this government has hidden from the fact that there are very significant problems with the Home Insulation Program. It was a very large program and there were problems with it—we have been upfront about that. The Prime Minister has said that quite clearly. The minister has outlined how he has taken action when advised to reduce the risks about which he was advised and the government has made a decision to close the program. The minister has made clear how he has acted appropriately on the advice he was provided and the government has closed the program as a result of the advice provided. Obviously, as I said, we do not shy away from the fact that there were problems in this program. That is why the program was changed and has been discontinued. The minister has been full and frank with the House as well as with the Australian people about the way in which he has approached that.

If you look at all that this government is seeking to do on these issues—unfortunately having been stymied by some in this chamber—you will realise it is a government that is serious about tackling climate change. It is a government that does have an ambitious agenda. I note that Senator Birmingham was critical of that. We are unashamed about that—we have an ambitious agenda because there are many things to be done. Whilst some of these policies may not have been perfect, there have also been many good things delivered. These include, as I said, a very substantial increase in investment in renewable energy and, of course, a whole range of other programs across government for businesses and households in terms of reducing energy use, reducing water use and assisting people to make this transition.

I come back to this very simple fact: we will not transform our economy in the way we have to if we are going to tackle climate change unless we put a price on carbon. Unless the Greens change their position or the opposition change their position, we will see the extreme left and the extreme right of Australian politics stop a very important reform.