Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

When I first came to Australia many years ago as a student I was astounded by the diversity of natural landscapes. The four corners of Australia may as well be different worlds. This diversity of landscapes and climates means Australia has always been in a pole position to capitalise on our renewable resources, and I can say with certainty that we have taken advantage of all that Australia has to offer. Did you know that one in four Australians turn Australia's baking sun into electricity? Indeed, we have the highest uptake of household solar in the world. Well, Australians have always been great at turning lemons into lemonade, so it makes sense that we are just as great at turning the sun into solar.

As a member of the Morrison government, I'm proud to say that we are taking real and practical action, and as a result we are delivering lower emissions whilst protecting our economy and the jobs and futures of all Australians. Our government has strong targets, an enviable track record and a clear plan. Unlike the plans that Labor has implemented before, which involved thrusting higher taxes on the shoulders of hardworking Australians, the Morrison government is delivering a plan that is driven by technology, not taxes. We are building ourselves out as a world leader in renewable resource technology. We are propelling innovation forward, driving jobs creation and lowering our emission output whilst delivering reliable, affordable energy for all Australians.

Investment into renewables has being a priority for Australia. Since 2017, Australia has invested over $35 billion in renewable energy. On a per capita basis, Australia is ahead of countries like the United States, France and Japan, and has more than double the per capita investment of countries like China, Germany and Canada. These are achievements Australians can be proud of. Our investment in renewables doesn't end there. The Morrison government's 2021-22 budget will invest a further $539 million into new clean hydrogen and carbon capture, use and storage projects that will also support Australian industry, creating jobs and lowering emissions. Our new investment into clean hydrogen and carbon capture technologies will create around 2½ thousand jobs in Australia for Australians. It will support Australian industry and manufacturing into the future. And, to top it all off, it will further reduce Australia's emissions output. It's a win-win.

Last year was a record year for renewable energy capacity installed in Australia. The Clean Energy Regulator reports that seven gigawatts of new renewable capacity was installed in 2020, which is 11 per cent above the previous record in 2019. That's more renewable energy output in one year under a Morrison government than under the whole Labor government when they last held power. I want to be very clear: unlike Labor, our government won't try to reduce emissions by compromising our export industries and the hardworking Australian families that depend on those industries. We have and will continue to lower emissions while ensuring that those who work in export industries can still provide for their families. Our promise to Australians is that we won't raise taxes to get the job done, and we will still do it better than what any Labor government could hope to do.

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