David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Another day, another motion of urgency from the Greens where it's all about ruining Australian business and ruining jobs and all about virtue signalling. It's clear to all senators, I believe, and to all Australians that the Greens are not a party of action. They are not a party of government. They are a party of protest and a party that relies solely on selling fear, knowing that they will never ever have to come up with a plan that works—and this motion today shows exactly that.

This motion is not about the Greens providing suggestions on how the Morrison government can achieve zero emissions; they are solely suggesting that the Morrison government makes virtue-signalling announcements. This government that I'm a part of is focused on results, not on hollow promises. All this motion today does is encourage foreign countries to impose tariffs and taxes on Australian businesses, with the likely effect of destroying Australian jobs, Australian industries and Australian families. The actions of the Greens today, in providing cover and support for foreign countries to apply tariffs on Australian products, are despicable. The Greens should be ashamed of themselves, because what do the Greens get out of putting forward a motion such as this? Maybe it's a headline, a social media post, a tweet, and providing cover for foreign countries to tax Australian businesses.

What is really disappointing about this motion is that the Greens know full well that the Australian government is taking real action to reduce our emissions. We've set targets, we've smashed Kyoto and we are on our way to meeting and beating our Paris obligations. What we know for certain is that it's outcomes that matter—actions and outcomes. The Morrison government is taking real, practical and pragmatic action and delivering real outcomes. As a result of the actions we are taking, we are delivering lower emissions while protecting our economy, jobs and investment. We have strong targets, an enviable track record and a clear plan. Our plan is driven by technology and not taxes; and, most importantly, our plan is working.

While ambition is important, achievement and outcomes are what matter. So let's talk about our achievements. As I said before, we've smashed our Kyoto targets by 450 million tonnes. Australia's emissions have fallen faster than the G20 average, faster than the OECD average and much, much faster than in similar developed economies, like Canada and New Zealand. Between 2005 and 2018, our emissions fell by more than 13 per cent. New Zealand's emission reductions, on the other hand, barely budged. Canada's fell by less than one per cent. Emissions actually increased across the G20 countries.

The latest figures have us at nearly 17 per cent below 2005 levels, which shows we are on track to meet and beat our 2030 target, which is currently to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels. Furthermore, on a per person basis, our 2030 target is more ambitious than that of Norway, Canada, Germany, New Zealand or France. Let's not forget that this is not a ceiling on our ambitions; it's a floor. We will go beyond these. As we did with the Kyoto targets, the Morrison government want to not only meet our 2030 targets but also beat them. The latest emissions projections, published in December 2020, show that we are on track to do exactly that.

All Australians should be proud of our achievements. Unlike the plans of those opposite, we have achieved this without increasing taxes. We are committed to the principle of technology-driven emissions reduction, not taxes. As the Prime Minister has said, we want to get to net zero emissions as soon as possible. However, we will not sacrifice jobs and industries across Australia, particularly in our regional areas, for virtually no global emissions benefit. Instead of focusing on virtue signalling, like the Greens are, the Morrison government is focused on how we will do that. We are focused on assisting in the development of the technological breakthroughs that we will need to make net zero emissions a reality. By focusing on technology, not only will Australia reduce its emissions; we will also help reduce emissions right across the world.

As I have repeatedly said in this place, actions and outcomes are what matter. Our track record is one that all Australians can be proud of, so I will repeat it: we beat our 2020 target by 459 million tonnes. Recently updated forecasts show Australia is on track to meet and beat its 2030 Paris target. Over the last two years our position against our 2030 target has improved by 639 million tonnes. This is the equivalent of taking all of Australia's 14.7 million cars off the road for 15 years. Between 2005 and 2018, our emissions fell faster than those of Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the US, and they fell against the OECD average. Emissions in the National Electricity Market have fallen to their lowest level since records began. In the last 12 months our emissions were down by five per cent, with record levels of investment in renewables continuing. In 2020, a record seven gigawatts of new renewable capacity was installed in Australia. That's more renewables injected into the Australian market in a single year under the Morrison Liberal government than were injected under the whole previous Labor government. Compared to the rest of the world, Australia now has the highest total amount of solar PV capacity per person installed. We have the most wind and solar per person of any country outside of Europe. Today, Australia's emissions are lower than in any year under the previous Labor government.

Despite the great success that the Morrison government has already had in this space, we have the Greens coming into this place and encouraging foreign countries to tax Australian businesses. This is a new low, even by the abysmal standards of the Greens. While the Morrison government has seen great achievements in this space, we are not resting on our laurels. We have a clear plan to keep this momentum going. To do this, we have developed Australia's Technology Investment Roadmap. Our commitment is clear: lower prices and keeping the lights on, all while doing our bit to reduce global emissions without wrecking the economy.

Advancing the next generation of low-emission technologies is crucial to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. 'Why?' you might ask. It is because the technologies to get us to net zero don't currently exist. Our Technology Investment Roadmap will accelerate technologies like hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, soil carbon measurement, low-carbon materials like steel and aluminium, and long-duration energy storage. Widespread global deployment of those technologies will reduce emissions, or eliminate them, in sectors responsible for 90 per cent of the world's emissions. This is approximately 45 billion tonnes. It's about setting practical goals for the technologies that offer the most abatement potential for the least cost. That is where Australia has a real advantage. That is real ambition. It focuses on the big picture and on the long game, rather than on the political pointscoring and on the news headline capturing that we see time and time again from the Greens.