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

Thanks, Senator Mulholland, for that question. Twice now, Australian voters have endorsed the Albanese government's practical policies to reduce emissions and to modernise our electricity system. We take that endorsement of our approach earnestly. Our approach to this task is absolutely in the Australian national interest. Australians want to see Australia be part of the international community, with the government listening to the science and reducing our emissions while we strengthen the economy. We are tracking well to meet our 2030 climate target. In the year to March, emissions were 440 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent—6½ million tonnes lower than the year before and 28 per cent below 2005 levels.

The risk to that approach is a return to the policy chaos and the investment drought—indeed, disinvestment—that happened in Australian industry and the Australian electricity system under those opposite. The efforts that we see from them to reconcile themselves with their approach—it is becoming very, very clear this week. They are all about themselves, not about the country. They are all about their internals, not about additional electrons. Nothing demonstrates that more than the opposition spokesman, Mr Tehan, who after their meeting said that the critical thing for them was to develop a 'pathway to bringing us all together'. It's all about their internals, not about engineering and science. Then he went on to say— (Time expired)