Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Whiteaker, for that question; it is a very good question, indeed. You're right. This government is making strong progress towards meeting Australia's climate targets. The government listened to what Australian voters said not just in 2025 but also in 2022 to every politician in Canberra. We listened, and we are delivering. They want Australia to do its part in stopping climate change both here and in terms of our contribution to international action. That means technical and industrial collaboration with our friends in North Asia, for example, including the Republic of Korea, who were just in the room.

Australians want an affordable and clean energy system. That requires private investment, and private investment requires confidence and certainty. You would have to have everything but confidence and certainty in what is going on over on the other side of this chamber and in the Liberal and National parties around the country.

We do that, broadly, within a framework of fiscal responsibility too, which is why we didn't go to the last election with a $600 billion plan for nuclear energy that Australia couldn't afford, that would never be delivered on time and that would force Australian industry offshore. Of course, what we saw over the miserable period of the Morrison, Abbott and Turnball governments was disinvestment in Australian industry and disinvestment in Australian electricity. We saw investment happening everywhere but in Australia because the government couldn't take a rational, science based, certain approach that provided investors with confidence. (Time expired)