Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I can inform the House that Australia's emissions on a per capita basis are at their lowest in 27 years. In 27 years! In the most recent data, in the last two quarters, emissions have come down in the electricity sector. In the land sector, through the Emissions Reduction Fund and through the good work of the member for Flinders, we have contracted for 189 million tonnes of abatement at under $12 tonne on average. The work through the Renewable Energy Target has seen a five-fold increase in renewable investment in 2016 compared to 2015. A five-fold increase—a record amount.

The Prime Minister, through his support, through Snowy 2.0, is supporting the largest pumped hydro facility in the Southern Hemisphere—the largest renewable project, bringing on 2,000 megawatts of additional support. So the work that the Turnbull government is undertaking to reduce emissions is making a difference. The advice to the government is that our 2020 target will be met and, indeed, beaten by some 224 million tonnes. What we won't do, on this side of the House, is to reduce emissions at the expense of energy affordability and energy reliability. We won't sell out the workers at the coal-fired power stations throughout the country—unlike the members opposite; unlike the member for Hunter, who is extremely quiet, who is not prepared to stand up for jobs in his own electorate; unlike the member for Shortland, who turns his head into his papers, who's not prepared to stand up for the workers in his electorate. We are taking the steps to—

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