Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My apologies—Mr Dutton. We've moved to Mr Dutton-proof this key emissions reduction policy and to lock in renewables investment.

That is obviously crucial, but we cannot keep pouring fuel on the fire. Renewables investment has to be accompanied by no new coal, oil or gas. Unfortunately, under the Albanese government, we know that emissions have actually gone up, which is frankly gobsmacking. Perhaps part of the reason for that is that 32 coal and gas projects, either new or expanded, have been approved by the Albanese Labor government. Without a commitment to stop subsidising coal and gas to the tune of $11 billion of taxpayer money and without that commitment to stop opening new coal and gas fields that are simply turbocharging the climate crisis, you're cutting off your nose to spite your face. We are risking the future of our climate, our environment and our economy and we will continue to be out the back of the pack internationally.

Australia's future is in clean energy, not fossil fuels, and this bill is an important step to lock in renewable investment and to provide more certainty for communities and industry, but we've got to get on with the rest of the job. We are strongly in support of the 82 per cent renewables by 2030 target. We'd like it to be higher, and we can do that in a way that actually shores up the economic future of regional communities. We know that renewables are not only the cheapest form of energy, which is great news for households, but they are job rich, and they are safe jobs. They're not coalmining jobs, where you come down with black lung disease or get sacked by your mega coal company because you've been replaced by a robot. We can have a job-rich, clean energy transition that's smooth, and that's why we're backing this bill today. Government underwriting for the renewables sector is crucial, and it will help even out the peaks and troughs.

This is us adapting and trying to make that transition to a clean energy economy. I'm so pleased that we were able to get the support of those in the chamber and in the other place to do that today to make sure that those good targets—they're not as strong as they should be, but they're good—are now in law and can't be just undone by the stroke of a pen should Mr Dutton assume control of the country. But you can't just do good renewables stuff; you've got to stop approving coal and gas. It's one step forward and two steps back. This is why we will continue to insist that there be no new coal and gas approved. That will always be what the Greens work for, and that will always be on the table for any kind of minority government negotiations should the country lead us to that outcome.

We're here for climate action. We're here for providing those jobs in regional communities. They know that the writing is on the wall for the coal industry. They know that their jobs are on the line and that they'll be sacked the minute it's cheaper for a robot to do their jobs than it is for a person. They deserve to have a bright economic future. They deserve to have a say in determining what is the next underpinning for the prosperity for their town. That's exactly why we will always stand with those coal and gas workers and we will always make sure that they've got options for well-paying jobs locally in their community.

We are sick of the coal and gas companies running our country. We are sick of them running this parliament. We have tried to ban donations from coal and gas companies. Unfortunately, nobody else seems to agree that that is a good idea. They're perfectly happy for the oligarchs in the coal and gas companies to be in control of decision-making. Maybe that's why in every budget, no matter who's in government, you get $11 billion of taxpayer money given to the big coal oil and gas companies. Cheap diesel and accelerated depreciation are perks that no other industry gets. But, when it comes to the coal and gas industry, they say: 'Eleven billion dollars? Yes, sir. You'd like us to jump? How high, sir?' That is, sadly, what both of the big parties say when it comes to the coal, oil and gas industries. We will always say you could use that $11 billion you are giving to coal and gas to let people go to the doctor for free, to make sure they can go to the dentist and use their Medicare card and not their credit card or to make sure that public schools are fully funded and teachers are getting properly paid. There are so many better ways to spend money than propping up the coal and gas industry, and we need to do that.

We need to make sure we're not opening new coal and gas in a climate crisis when we're already at 1½ degrees. We know the impact that that will have globally on coral reefs, and that includes the Great Barrier Reef in my home state of Queensland. We're going to lose 90 per cent of coral cover at 1½ degrees of warming, and, if that keeps ticking up and we get to even two degrees of warming, we know that 100 per cent of coral cover will be lost. That's 60,000 jobs that we're talking about losing, not to mention losing one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The future of our communities and the future of our environment is at stake, and that is why we're so proud that we have 'Dutton-proofed' this renewable energy investment scheme. But Labor have to stop approving new coalmines and gas projects. They have to stop giving $11 billion of taxpayer money to coal, oil and gas when they should be investing that in communities for the services that all of us rely on, like schools and hospitals. Maybe they could even subsidise solar and batteries for small businesses and for homes to really further kick along that renewables transition.