Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

We do need investment. The government needs to take responsibility for the health of the planet, for the health of Australians and for the health of the workers. We must have large-scale investment in renewable energy infrastructure and in local manufacturing.

Like Senator Patrick, I'm an engineer. I think we need a huge investment to have a renaissance of our manufacturing sector. We've seen through the COVID crisis how lacking in manufacturing we are. This is a real opportunity for us to actually start manufacturing—21st century manufacturing that is sustainable manufacturing. This is why we need to invest in renewable energy. Through that, we can create good, steady, dignified and unionised jobs for hundreds and thousands of people. That's what an emerging sustainable economy and society looks like.

The time has really come; the time is upon us. The time is here to build our way out of the economic and climate crises we find ourselves in. We don't have to choose between action on climate change and secure, dignified jobs for workers—jobs that keep workers healthy and safe. Those jobs are not in coal, those jobs are in sustainable manufacturing and renewable energy. We can wean ourselves off coal; we can stop burning coal for electricity and move to 100 per cent renewable energy. We can do that—

A government senator interjecting—

You can keep on denying that until the cows come home! That doesn't make it true. We want to move to a sustainable future for us in Australia and for everyone across the world. We want to move to this 100 per cent renewable energy future with a just transition for workers who are in the coal industry at the moment. There was an inquiry that went around regional Australia which I was part of, and people were telling us that that's what they want to do. People in the Hunter Valley were telling us that they want a just transition. They want a plan from this government until there are no options left for those communities, because we know that moving to 100 per cent renewable energy, weaning ourselves off coal, is affordable, possible and necessary.