Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Senator Birmingham. Yesterday the Liberal member for North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman, said:

We have no commitment to fund a coal-fired power station and I don't think we should … From my perspective, it's not the business of the Commonwealth government to be building or funding coal-fired power stations.

And yesterday Liberal member for Wentworth, Dave Sharma, said on public funding of new coal-fired power generation:

… I don't think the government should be in the position of doing this.

Does the minister agree with the position of his New South Wales Liberal colleagues?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is not funding a new coal-fired power station. The government committed $10 million at the last election to address supply and affordability issues for energy-intensive and trade-exposed customers in North and Central Queensland. There are industries like aluminium smelting, refining, cement, sugar and copper processing that all rely on low-cost and reliable energy, employing tens of thousands of Queenslanders. Part of that commitment was to fund a number of feasibility studies for new generation projects to ensure that these projects stack up and make commercial sense. We won't stand in the way of private sector investment, but the investment the government is making is in relation to those feasibility studies as committed to at the election.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In an opinion piece to The Courier Mail, Senator Canavan said:

… The Liberal National Government is supporting the development of a coal fired power station at Collinsville in North Queensland.

Will the minister rule out this government providing taxpayers' money to fund the construction of a new coal-fired power plant?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer the senator to the answer I just gave the Senate, which detailed precisely what the government took to the election. The government are doing precisely what we took to the election; no more, no less.

Marielle Smith (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dawson put out a media statement yesterday declaring:

Despite claims of one inner-city Liberal MP on Sky News this morning, the Morrison Liberal National Government is providing funding to coal-fired power projects …

Is Mr Christensen correct?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, I think I have answered that question, if Senator Smith had listened to the initial answer or to the supplementary answer. The government are doing precisely what we promised at the election in relation to the $10 million of funding, the feasibility projects—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order on relevance: the minister might want to avoid it, but this question is about comments made by the member for Dawson. We haven't asked about them before, so he shouldn't be referring to previous answers. We want an answer to this question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You've restated the question. He has been speaking for 14 seconds. I am listening carefully to a specific question. I'll let the minister continue.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government are delivering on our commitments for the dual feasibility projects in relation to the two projects under assessment there. And in terms of the work the government are currently pursuing on a decision that the government have made, that is the extent of it, and that is what we are delivering upon.