Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

The ‘sensible’ Prime Minister; the ‘nervous’ Prime Minister, the change from the member for Wentworth to the member for Warringah—these are the 180-degree flips that have occurred within the last six months that have the community confused. There is currently a sense in the community of a policy void in government. It will take an enormous amount of work from government in a particularly wired election environment to recover the moment and to put in place a policy strategy that the community believes in, that is deliverable and that engages the community and government in working together, rather than one that creates the current policy void and confusion.

I take this opportunity to raise the issue of the smoking guns that I have seen over the last six months. I smelt a rat in the shift that I saw and what looked to be—to their credit—a very well organised and very well-funded campaign from the likes of JoNova and Viv Forbes. There is more going on in those stories than meet the eye and they have seen the two major parties scat on the issue of action on climate change and on an affordable and secure energy supply for our future. The shifts that we have seen from both sides have created an unstable energy market and are a great disappointment. Again, I think there are a whole range of interests other than the national interest at play in the political process in this place that point to further smoking guns.

Another point I want to make and one that I hope Minister Garrett and Minister Combet, who are at the table, will consider is my concern about the contrast between government policy and the people who I see in my community, either as a household or as a small business, who want to embrace many of the issues around renewable energy and broader energy security. They are doing it; they are basically getting on with it. However, the policy development and advice from the energy and environmental departments looks to be given ‘with fear’ and ‘with favour’; it is found wanting. In my view, those departments show an inability to contribute without fear or favour to robust policy development in this country. Further, the delivery of those outcomes looks to be a bit of a smoking gun. I think these two departments have been found wanting. This has been captured more by some of the old school culture of the energy department rather than some of the vibrant new minds that we might find in the public sector. I hope I am wrong but there have been too many policy misfires for me to think otherwise. That is one for the ministers at the table to consider.

Whilst I will be voting against the legalisation, I think there is a way forward. We do need the question of a price on carbon answered—and quickly. It is creating an unstable environment. There are a range of doables now, and I would encourage the ministers at the table to look at what ClimateWorks Australia have been doing. They gave some excellent presentations in this place this week. There are some really positive steps that can be taken now to set us up well for the future.

The small-scale energy security is a question that has me really baulking today. This legislative package increases the insecurity around small-scale business and household engagement. There is still a policy void regarding the question of home energy sustainability; it is one we need some direction and answers on quickly.

See this speech in context