Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

On what we are told is the greatest moral challenge of our time, it might lead—just perhaps—to five minutes of the government’s time to consider the Frontier report, and not reject it before it has been put. It might lead to five minutes of the government’s time to meet face to face to discuss a proposition which is greener, because it offers twice the baseline savings that the government propose; cheaper, because it offers $49 billion of potential savings over the life of the program for the next 20 years—or $9,000 per Australian family of mum, dad and two children—and smarter, because it would save 68,000 regional jobs.

We are told that this is the greatest moral challenge of our time, and yet the government’s legislation is for three years hence. With legislation which has an effective start date of three years hence, they are not willing to spend five minutes now to double the baseline for emissions, reduce costs by up to $9,000 per family, and save 68,000 rural jobs. They are not willing to meet to consider and assess; nor will they even allow discussion with what the member for Corio refers to as one of the two great parties of this majestic democracy. We are in agreement on that assessment, but we are in disagreement on the fact that, if this is the great moral issue—and I happen to agree—we should talk, we should meet, we should negotiate and we should seek to improve legislation, make better savings and do it at a cheaper cost and in a way which will create more jobs. If those jobs do not matter to the people in the government, then it should be on their heads. If those savings of $9,000 per family do not matter, then it should be on their heads. And if those emissions reductions of double their baseline proposal do not matter, then that truly shall be upon their heads.

This brings me to my second major point. After the unwillingness to talk, discuss or improve, against the background that they are holding the great renewable sectors hostage, they should decouple this day, this hour, this moment, the renewable energy legislation from a scheme which could be improved in terms of the emissions trading scheme. We offer a greener, cheaper, smarter scheme. But they have made the renewable energy legislation hostage to a fundamentally flawed emissions trading scheme. The great solar energy prospects of the mirror fields that we see in California and Nevada could be real in Australia. The great geothermal fields of the Cooper Basin and of Western Australia and Victoria could be real in Australia. Tidal, wave and algae energy are all enormously prospective, but the government are holding those sectors hostage. So the second point is: decouple the renewable energy target, the majestic vision of a 20 per cent clean and renewable energy sector. Decouple that legislation right now, and we will help you pass it. You want real action from us? We offer renewable energy jobs today. Let us preserve the solar sector, which is in disarray because they have abolished the rebate, and let us give the renewable energy sector a real investment pipeline.

Firstly, talk; secondly, decouple; and, thirdly, let us offer the agricultural sector a real future. The government cannot say whether the agricultural sector is in or out. On the one hand they say to them, ‘You’re not really there,’ and on the other hand they admonish us for not including it. We will not be making burping cows subject to a tax under our regime. It is not just whacky; it also out of line with what is the case under the Waxman-Markey bill in the United States. We will, however, offer the great prospect of green carbon as the biggest single source of carbon emissions reduction in Australia. If you care about carbon reduction, you need to include green carbon in your system—soil carbons, biochar, algae energy. These things are real and powerful—revegetation of mallee and mulga, reafforestation and avoiding deforestation. Include green carbon, decouple the legislation and sit down and talk with us. (Time expired)

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