Senate debates

Thursday, 21 October 2021

Questions without Notice

Climate Change

2:01 pm

Photo of Penny WongPenny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President, and thank you for that statement at the outset. My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Four years ago, Mr Morrison brought a lump of coal into the federal parliament, and in 2019 he claimed that emissions reduction targets would wreck the economy. When did he change his mind?

2:02 pm

Photo of Simon BirminghamSimon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wong for the question, albeit I don't accept the premise of all aspects of that question. Indeed, the government went to the last election, as we have to previous elections, with commitments to emissions reductions targets. We didn't have the same commitments as those opposite—that's true—just as we didn't have the same policies as those opposite, but we certainly went to the election with emissions reduction targets. Despite the fact that those opposite, and others, when we've outlined coalition policies to achieve those targets, have always said, 'It will fail; the targets won't be met; the government's public policy won't achieve it,' guess what has happened on every single occasion? Of course, we have actually exceeded the targets. The policies have worked. The policies have delivered the emissions reductions targets. And that is what we continue to do. It's what we continue to do in terms of delivering and achieving the 2030 emissions reductions targets which we took to the last election. Contrary to what Senator Wong said, the debate at the last election was about whether or not the Labor Party, with an increased target, had a plan, had a policy, had had it costed and had any idea of how they were going to achieve it. The coalition outlined how we were going to achieve our targets, and I'm very pleased to say we are on track to meet those targets. We are on track to exceed those targets.

In doing so it helps to ensure that, on a per person basis, Australia's reduction of emissions is indeed amongst some of the biggest in the world. On a per person basis, we are achieving close to a 50 per cent reduction in emissions. Even on an absolute basis, in terms of the rate of emissions reductions, we are achieving faster rates of emissions reductions than Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the United States. I don't say that to criticise those nations; it's just a statement of what is occurring and a demonstration that, despite the fact that those opposite like to try to talk Australia down and like to try to be negative in some ways in relation to our achievements, our emissions are trending down, and we continue to deliver policies to achieve that. (Time expired)

Photo of Slade BrockmanSlade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a supplementary question?

2:04 pm

Photo of Penny WongPenny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Morrison has said electric vehicles would 'end the weekend', and suggested that batteries to store renewable energy were as useful as a big banana. When did he decide he was wrong?

Photo of Simon BirminghamSimon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

Once again, we get the selective quoting and the misrepresentation from those opposite—Mr Morrison, talking about Labor policies, to mandate Labor policies. Senator Wong wanting to go and ask questions that are about comments made by the Prime Minister in relation to Labor policies obviously opens up scrutiny of Labor policies. Labor policies taken to the last election were about trying to mandate outcomes and to mandate outcomes that would have different impacts. Of course technology moves on. Time moves on. And, as technology and time move on, we want to make sure that Australia is able to embrace the opportunities of the future, able to lead where we can in terms of the opportunities of the future. We're doing that through our investment in technology—not the types of taxes the Labor Party had proposed previously. Our investment is in making sure Australia can embrace the technologies that suit our nation, give our regions the advantages to secure jobs and opportunities in the future, while lowering emissions. (Time expired)

Photo of Slade BrockmanSlade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a second supplementary question?

2:05 pm

Photo of Penny WongPenny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr Morrison and Mr Joyce have railed against climate action for over a decade, the Nationals are holding Mr Morrison to ransom and Mr Morrison is refusing to take net zero by 2050 to the coalition party room. How can Australians possibly believe Mr Morrison's last minute scramble to land a political deal on net zero by 2050 under two weeks out from Glasgow is real?

2:06 pm

Photo of Simon BirminghamSimon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | | Hansard source

(—) (): Australians should absolutely have confidence that our government will deliver the policies we implement and that those policies will work for the future on meeting the commitments Australia makes, because that's what we've done. That's what we've done time and time again. When we said we would achieve Australia's emissions reduction targets and here were the policy profiles that would do so whilst abolishing Labor's carbon tax, we got on. We implemented those policies and we've achieved those targets, and we have exceeded those targets. And that's what we're going to continue to do. That's why Australians should have faith. They can look at our track record. In fact, they should have the faith that our side of politics will achieve that without the types of policies those opposite have been known to embrace that drive up costs of electricity, that drive up costs for Australian businesses, that hurt Australian families, that risk Australian jobs. That's what Australians should fear in terms of the policies of those opposite, because they've shown a track record with those sorts of policies. We've shown a track record of being able to lower emissions, lower power prices but increase the strength of the Australian economy. (Time expired)

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting

Photo of Slade BrockmanSlade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Order on my left!