Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

It was one measure over 12 years, which this government has accelerated. Look at what we have done since we got into office and look at the announcement that was made today. Today I was pleased to be at the YWCA in Canberra, with Clare Martin from ACOSS, launching Green Start. What a fantastic program, with $130 million to help improve the energy and water efficiency of low-income and disadvantaged households. We recognise that low-income and disadvantaged households have additional pressures in terms of the cost of living and we know that provision of accurate information, assistance and assessment of the conditions of their homes and the provision of services, or even information, to enable them to take the necessary steps to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions will be very much welcomed. I look forward to hearing from those who will tender for that program, because I know that we will be providing vulnerable households with free home energy and water assessments, linking that to various government energy and water efficiency rebates and programs, including the Home Insulation Program, and providing installation of practical, low-cost energy and water efficiency improvements. And then there is Green Loans—another innovative and excellently supported program by the Rudd government on energy efficiency—empowering Australians to take the action that they want to take to reduce their energy costs and play a role in reducing and containing greenhouse gas emissions.

At the end of the day, this government is absolutely serious about energy efficiency. By rolling out the largest and most comprehensive energy efficiency program that this country has ever seen, we are delivering on our election commitments, we are providing Australians with the opportunity for increased employment, we are delivering to Australian households the opportunity to reduce their energy costs and to contain greenhouse gas emissions and we are showing that we know what it takes in this country in 2009 to take real and practical action on dealing with dangerous climate change. Mr Deputy Speaker, this is in fact a matter of public importance, and I commend our record to you.

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