Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I will be raising these issues further because I think accountability is very important—as you yourself know, Mr Deputy Speaker Causley, as a former minister of the New South Wales parliament. I would like to go first to the issue of ethanol—something dear to the hearts of some members of this parliament because they are very close to companies such as Manildra. I would like the parliamentary secretary to advise on the following matters. Given the growing food versus fuel debate, what is the government doing to promote the development of lignocellulosic ethanol production in Australia? What progress has been made on meeting ethanol and biodiesel targets? Are there any problems with meeting supply, given the drought? Can the parliamentary secretary also advise whether the department has done any work on whether or not the potential mandating of ethanol by some state governments could at one point in the future lead to an increase in the price of petrol in Australia?

See this speech in context