Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That was an interesting contribution. I'm very happy to talk about net zero and about energy. I wanted to pick up a point that was just made in relation to jobs, that some families may not be able to afford to buy shoes for their kids to go to school—something we were very aware of over the 10 years that they were in government. It's interesting that, since they've been in opposition, it's only when it suits them that they actually think about families, the cost of living and how some children may not be able to have the shoes they need for school. They voted against tax cuts. They voted against the Housing Future Fund giving people and families the opportunity to put a secure roof over their heads. When we reduced the cost of medication and wanted to increase funding to Medicare—all of these issues are real issues that impact every single family—they voted against it.

But let's go back and compare what they did when they were in government. As I said earlier today in another contribution, they had 22 energy policies but couldn't land on one. And then, leading into the election before last, they wanted to talk about nuclear energy. The reality is that all of that was rejected by the Australian people. I want to contrast that to the infighting that's going on where you've got the minor member of their coalition, the Nationals, calling all the shots. Now the Liberals have walked away, so they have no credibility at all when it comes to net zero or addressing the urgency of climate change.

As someone who represents the great state of Tasmania, where we have been generating renewable energy for decades upon decades, for a century or more, we know the value that that brings to the economy in Tasmania. We're leading the way. That's where the investment is. That's where the cheaper energy is going to be. They keep coming in and talking about $275 that was committed. Well, this government has actually done more in terms of supporting families with their energy and power bills than any other government. There's a real contrast between what they talk about doing—and then never do—and our government, which is actually investing in renewable energy. The transition now to having batteries at home, to take advantage of solar energy, is fantastic. We know there are more and more families and households and businesses putting solar panels on their roofs. So that is a real contrast to those opposite.

The National Climate Risk Assessment makes it clear that our country has a lot at stake when it comes to acting on climate change, and that, while we can no longer avoid climate impact, every action that we take today will help in the future goal of net zero by 2050 and can help avoid the worst impacts on Australians. We already know that we are seeing, in my home state, the climate changing, and the impact that it is having on our industries: the waters are getting warmer; there's the threat to our berry industry and agriculture. It is shifting and it is changing. And, unlike those who would still like to be back in the Menzies days in the fifties, the reality is that we are about to go into 2026.

The leadership on this issue is always going to come from this side of the chamber, and that's why the Australian community, Australian voters, put their faith in us, because they want to see action, because they live with the change that's happening within our community. They want leadership on this issue; they don't want infighting. Every day we're looking at what else we can do to support Australian families and Australian workers, while those over there are looking at who is going to take Sussan Ley's job. They are infighting. You've got infighting within the Liberals on who is going to be the next leader. Will they leave Sussan there till Christmas?