Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That is your privatisation doing that. At the last election, I think I must have heard the slogan Jobs and growth more times than I would like to remember, but this government continues to fail Australians on both counts, because to achieve jobs and growth—let me give you a little lesson here: jobs and growth 101—you need to diversify markets and attract investment and you need energy security.

Let me start with the first point. The whole world is moving towards clean energy. There is no doubt about that. The whole world is moving towards it, and Australia has an enormous opportunity. But those on the other side cannot see it, because they are too blinkered by their right-wing ideology and their tinfoil hats. Our climate, especially in Western Australia, with its arid conditions, has generated innovation in alternative and renewable energy sources. I have been in a very privileged position to look at some of this innovation. It is innovation that has attracted the attention of investors in other parts of the world and in countries with similar climatic conditions who are also concerned about their energy security. Countries like Qatar, for example, who are currently preparing for the World Cup in 2020, are looking to Australia for renewable energy to run the massive number of air conditioners that they are going to need to be able to provide for the number of tourists coming to the 2020 World Cup.

Despite this unique advantage we have slipped behind the rest of the world in energy investment under this government, the government of 'jobs and growth; growth and jobs'. They have no policy to drive investment in renewables beyond 2020. In contrast, Labor's election policy of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030, supported by an emissions intensity scheme, provides certainty to support new investments to the tune of $48 billion across the country. (Time expired).

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