Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I think Senator Canavan's position on investment in renewables, in decarbonisation, in energy efficiency and in low-emissions technologies is well known. He and I disagree vehemently on these issues, but I will acknowledge that he has remained consistent over many years on this.

We believe, on this side of the chamber, that it is necessary for us to drive decarbonisation. We believe it is necessary to drive energy efficiency and we also believe it is necessary to try and scale up domestic manufacturing in renewable and low-emissions technology. That is jobs and economic activity in Australia—the capability and the capacity to manufacture low-emissions and renewable technologies here. There are a number of reasons for that, which are very much economic, not ideological. We know that the global market is transitioning. If you're serious about wanting to make sure our children grow up in an economy where we can deliver products and services to the world, where we can be part of supply chains that will be valued in a very different global economy, then we have to transform the Australian economy.