Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am delighted to speak to this MPI. I cannot believe that the Labor Party is actually serious in bringing this MPI into the House when they have had more than five different environmental policies. Our Direct Action policy has been policy for more than half a decade. As a government, we are playing our part in reducing global emissions without increasing electricity bills for Australian families. By implementing our policies, we are creating a cleaner environment without unfairly hindering businesses. Australia has a strong emissions reduction target and we are achieving it sensibly. As part of our policy, this target represents a reduction of 50 per cent in per capita emissions, the highest per capita reduction of any major developed nation. We have one of the most effective systems in the world for reducing emissions, and it has now been embraced by the World Bank. This shows that we have the world's best practice when it comes to reducing climate change.

After first promising to abolish the carbon tax, and then voting to keep it, the opposition has now decided it wants to bring back a carbon tax, and higher electricity prices. The carbon tax will bring more uncertainty for businesses and, even worse, more costs that businesses simply cannot afford.

Labor's carbon tax was a $15 billion hit to the Australian economy. Let's not forget that. The carbon tax failed to reduce emissions, and removing it saved families $550 a year on average. Worse still is what it did to Australian industry and businesses. For example, the Master Grocers supermarket group said at the time that its independent supermarket members would save $70 million a year. That is enormous. An average supermarket of 2,000 square metres will save $51,000. Also, there was an enormous hit to Virgin, which was headquartered in my electorate, of some $52 million.

Australia has a very proud record on renewable energy. My own electorate of Brisbane is absolutely filled with start-ups and innovative businesses at the absolute cutting edge of this renewable energy technology. Right across the CBD we have everything from high-rises to homes adopting green technology to reduce emissions. I want to pay tribute to the Brisbane City Council, which is one of the leading councils with their green policies, particularly their revolutionary building chiller project, which allows buildings to be cooled using a chiller technology that will reduce the demand for electricity.

Families and businesses are all doing their bit at the moment by reducing their electricity bills by investing in solar. This government has reaffirmed its strong commitment to supporting household solar. This has meant a huge influx of investment from overseas into Australia's renewable energies, reflecting strong business confidence both in and out of Australia.

Australia has the highest proportion in the world of households with solar panels: 15 per cent. The next largest is Belgium, with 7.5 per cent, and Germany, with 3.7 per cent. The Renewable Energy Target will see more than 23.5 per cent of Australia's electricity coming from renewables by 2020. This means a doubling of large-scale renewable energy over the next five years.

The department has costed Labor's plan and found that it will cost a staggering $85 billion. This means that Labor is more committed to debt and deficit than they are to reducing emissions. If we do not have a functioning and healthy economy we simply cannot have the funds to effectively battle climate change. Only the coalition has a responsible, credible and mature policy on renewable energy. Never has the hypocrisy of the Labor Party been as strong as it is now. One only needs to cast a cursory look back at the Rudd/Gillard years to see the never-ending list of discredited policies on climate change and renewable energy. So I welcome Shadow Minister Butler's raising of this matter, if only to take another look at their failed years in power. In government they left a legacy of waste and mismanagement of the environment—the carbon tax, the home insulation plan, green loans, clean tech grants, Solar Homes And Communities Plan, Solar Flagship, and let's not forget 'cash for clunkers', green cars, the solar hot water rebate, connectable renewables, carbon capture and Phantom Credits, just to name a few. We cannot be lectured by a party with such a dark history when it comes to the environment and the economy. Labor has categorically been rejected by Australian voters. When they offered a carbon tax at $24 they were rejected.

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