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

I seek leave to address this matter in brief.

Leave granted.

This motion, in brief, is about two fundamental concepts of transparency and public safety. The motion has sought to achieve two things: firstly, the release of the full rate of defects discovered to date under both the Home Insulation Safety Plan and the Foil Insulation Safety Program, and, secondly, it calls on the Australian government to release information on the asbestos problem discovered under the Home Insulation Program. These are continuing matters of urgency.

I know that the government has produced material from CSIRO that is simply statistical fact. It says that the 156,000-odd investigations to date may not represent the entirety of the figure. But that does not hide the fact that there is a risk that is germane and real to those who are conducting the inspections. The response to the government is summed up in the letter from the Secretary of the National Electrical and Communications Association, Mr James Tinslay, to the Independents. He wrote:

We believe there is a public interest issue in releasing the data on both safety inspection programs, not the reverse. The government has said that the figures could scare the public. However, not knowing how big the problem is—whether your ceiling could be electrified or if there is a potential fire hazard in your roof—is more concerning.

I would say with great respect to the Independents who are considering their position that this body, NECA, in addition to the master electricians, right from the outset warned of the dangers of a program which has produced 200-odd house fires, 1,500 electrified roofs, 200,000-plus dangerous or dodgy roofs and $2½ billion dollars wasted and which has been linked, above all else, with four tragic losses.

The organisations which made the warnings from the outset are making the warnings again and it would be folly to ignore their warnings on public safety. This is real and germane and important. It is also a principle of transparency. We were told that this parliament would be about letting in the sunlight. Right now is the moment to choose whether or not we let in the sunlight to disclose the figures, which are simply being covered up because they are embarrassing to the government. I say this to all of those involved. To the government: release the figures and end the cover-up. To the Independents: consider the principle of transparency and above all else consider the principle of public safety, which has been set out in writing to you by the very people who warned of all of the dangers of this program right throughout the uncovering and unfolding disaster—which they predicted, which they warned of, which they identified and which they are again identifying. That is why this motion must be supported.

Question put:

That the motion (Mr Hunt’s) be agreed to.

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