Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to quote, Senator Scarr. As the union boss, Michael Ravbar, said:

The leadership vacuum in the left has seen a once powerful voice for working Queenslanders atrophy to the point where today it is little more than a creche for party hacks.

I could have been quoting Senator Matt Canavan. But, no, that is the mining and construction division of the CFMEU in Queensland. He goes on:

Quite simply, the so-called left faction—

which is the powerful ally of the Australian Greens and running the Labor Party—poor old Joel Fitzgibbon, a true believer, representing coalmining country, trying to do his best to hold back the tide; I'm happy to send him a membership form to the National Party—

is now merely an impotent and self-serving echo chamber for a cabal of Peel Street elite who have totally lost touch with their working class roots.

I couldn't have said it better myself; I just would have substituted Spring Street. He goes on and on and on.

Those of us in this chamber who actually care about working Australians, who actually care to see growth and development in industries that underpin regional economies and our export task, know how important the mining industry is and how important it is in this country to have cheap, reliable power. We hear those opposite talk about all the jobs available in renewable energy, but what we have seen it do is push up energy prices in this country. Our government is absolutely committed to meeting our international commitments on emissions, keeping jobs in regional Australia and growth and economic underpinning industries, and also ensuring we get the price of electricity down, because you cannot run manufacturing plant lines if you keep getting breaks in your electricity. It just doesn't work. In my home state, and I am sure it is the same—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The Queensland senators tonight are loud and proud on the floor of the Senate, standing up for their state and getting this feasibility study done. I think if you have a break of about 15 seconds it can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. So reliability is important, but they don't actually want to understand or talk about the fact that solar and renewables don't provide you with the reliability yet. That is a fact.

Senator Waters interjecting—

Senator Waters, it is a scientific fact and I look forward to prosecuting this. We have 15 days for these guys to disallow this motion; I hope we get to do this every single day because we have speakers lined up on this side of the chamber to stand up for our policy. But it is cooee crickets with the Labor Party.

We're not surprised that the Greens all want to take their 15 minutes of fame to talk about why this is a bad thing for Queensland—go for it! Knock yourselves out! You hold so many seats; you really speak particularly for regional Queensland! Have you checked out your vote? They walk away from you.

An independent strategic study has found that system strength is a real—

Senator Scarr interjecting—

Thank you, Senator Scarr, I hope you get an opportunity tonight to make that contribution. The independent strategic study has found that system strength is a real concern in Central and northern Queensland and that new synchronous generation, like coal, gas or pumped hydro, is a priority to meet the energy needs of the region.

The only evangelicals in this particular public debate are the Greens and the Labor Party, who only see one way to produce electricity. Here on our side we are not acolytes to one particular form of energy generation. We accept that renewables have a role: solar, hydro, wind. We also understand and appreciate the increasing contribution that gas will make and we look to state governments to get serious about opening up that resource so that we can build a 21st century advanced manufacturing system in this country, like the great Black Jack McEwan did through the fifties and sixties, post war.