Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Cormann. Notwithstanding the government's review of the Renewable Energy Target, will the government commit to retaining both the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target and the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, and will the government commit to keeping them separate and not rolling them together?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The whole point of having a review is to have a review. The last thing I would want to do here today is pre-empt what the review might come back with in terms of its findings, its conclusions and its recommendations. That is really all I can do to help you in response to that question.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. That level of uncertainty will be noted in the community, of course. Will the minister now say whether the government will rule out decreasing the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target from 41gigawatt hours in 2020? Yes or no.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not really have anything to add to my first answer.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the government rule out decreasing, diminishing, capping or abolishing the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer Senator Milne, respectfully, to my first answer.