Senate debates

Thursday, 15 September 2016

Bills

Budget Savings (Omnibus) Bill 2016; In Committee

10:16 pm

Photo of Mathias CormannMathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

As you would be aware, decisions on specific projects are not made politically by the government. Decisions in relation to specific projects are made by ARENA, according to the process that the Labor Party, with the cooperation of the Greens, set up. We have not change that process. There is a process that is non-political, as it should be. It should not be political discretion that determines that we pick this project or we pick that project. There is a rigorous process. And of course, as to what we have done, there is grant funding available to ARENA of up to $100 million for large-scale solar deployment projects—that is not changing—and ARENA also has ongoing resources through the budget to manage 252 current projects and continue its extensive knowledge-sharing and brokering role. If you want to champion specific projects because you have an interest in a particular local project, then I would encourage you to make representation to ARENA in the appropriate way.

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