Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

It is in fact but one example of the many changes that a carbon price is already driving in our economy. For example, grants have started to be made under the Clean Technology Program, which is a one billion-dollar program funded from carbon price revenue and directed towards assistance to the manufacturing sector to improve its energy efficiency and its emissions intensity. For example, one facility that I visited at Emu Plains called Crafty Chef has come up with changes that will reduce by 54 per cent the amount of electricity they use to produce a frozen meal for distribution through Woolworths outlets. That has cut their energy consumption per unit of output by 54 per cent—

Opposition members interjecting —

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I also visited Richgro Garden Products at Jandakot in Western Australia, who are installing a waste-to-energy plant that uses organic waste to generate electricity, and there are numerous other examples that can be pointed to of constructive changes in the economy, and particularly in manufacturing and food processing, that are happening right now. That will continue under a carbon price. And that is why at the end of the day the coalition will not and cannot repeal this legislation. (Time expired)

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