Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moore for his question. As someone who had a distinguished business career before coming into this place, like so many on this side of the parliament, he knows the crucial role that technology plays in solving hard problems. When it comes to mitigating climate change, he knows, as we all know, that it's a global problem requiring a global solution. That's why we're absolutely committed to our Technology Investment Roadmap, bringing the next generation of low-emissions technologies to commercial parity with their existing alternatives, and that means technologies like clean hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, healthy soils, soil carbon, low-emissions steel and aluminium.

We know that not only will these technologies reduce emissions in Australia; they will do it around the world. Indeed, the five priority technologies in our Technology Investment Roadmap will either substantially reduce or eliminate emissions in sectors responsible for 90 per cent of the world's emissions. That's why we are entering into low-emissions technology partnerships with countries like Germany, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom to develop those technologies. We have committed $20 billion in the coming years to investment in the development and deployment of those technologies. It will create 160,000 jobs and bring forward a total of $80 billion of public and private sector investment focused on supporting heavy industry, not destroying it; supporting agriculture, not destroying it; supporting manufacturing, not destroying it.

I am asked about alternatives. Those opposite have now voted five times against the technology-led approach to reducing emissions. They've voted five times against clean hydrogen, against carbon capture and storage, against electric vehicle charging infrastructure. As the member for McMahon has said proudly—he's boasted—they're going to keep doing it. Sadly, it's not new to the member for McMahon to be against investment in technology. In his short stint as Treasurer, not only did he oversee their electricity tax rising to record levels; he also oversaw the dragging of $200 million out of their clean technology program. So he is for taxes and against technology. He opposed technology-led solutions as Treasurer. He's doing it again. As the member for Hunter has said so eloquently, that's stupid policy and stupid politics.

See this speech in context