Carina Garland (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

LAND () (): What we have here today—and I thank the member for North Sydney—is a really sensible and important topic for this parliament to discuss. It is one, I think, that shows we have moved beyond the damage and destruction that unfortunately have characterised conversations around energy in this country for the last decade, which has been a real shame. Here we can see that it is possible in this parliament, under the Albanese Labor government, for us to take action on energy prices and relieve cost-of-living pressures on households as well as to make meaningful investments for the future in renewable energy. We've seen such action from this government already, only eight months in, and what a difference it has made. Not only are households now having some of the sting removed from the hit they've faced due to the war in Ukraine; they're also seeing historic investment in renewable energy.

I would ask those opposite to reflect on whose interests they are serving when they stand in the way of help for households at a really difficult time for many in terms of cost-of-living pressures, and when we don't have much time to take meaningful action on climate change. Everything we've put forward that is sensible, that helps people, has been opposed by those opposite, even after they had the opportunity over the last decade to do something good for this country. It is unbelievable. Not only have they stood in the way of meaningful action on climate change and on the rising costs of energy that we're seeing in the short term; they're also refusing to invest in the technologies of the future through the National Reconstruction Fund. On numerous occasions in this place I've urged those opposite to reconsider their opposition. I do so again. I urge them to think about the best interests of this country, because that's what we on this side of the House are doing. This is an invitation for them to join us and show that some things are above politics. Rebuilding this country, making sure that we protect this planet, making sure that households don't have to experience the kinds of pressures they have been—those things should be above politics. Those things should be the very reason any of us decides to enter this place.

I think every Australian—certainly the Australians in my electorate of Chisholm—expects and deserves better. That's the message we received on 21 May—that people expect and deserve better. I think of all the different groups in my electorate of Chisholm—the community groups, the tomorrow movement and the youth activists, the local branch of the ACF and the baby boomers for climate action. I think of all those groups I have met with over the last 18 months. It's been a real pleasure to hear such support for the Albanese Labor government's plan to do something about climate change.

We are investing in Rewiring the Nation. That's going to make sure we have better energy in this country. That will drive down prices, too, because we know, as we have heard time and time again from the minister and on this side of the House, clean energy is the cheapest form of energy. We are already seeing record renewables since we have been in government. In the fourth quarter of last year we produced almost 20 per cent of total generation in the grid from wind and grid-scale solar. That is something we as a country should be very proud of. We should be very excited about it.

But these things don't just happen. They happen because governments decide to do the right thing and decide not to just play cheap politics with things as important as our planet's future and the future of our communities. This is not short-term thinking from this government. Yes, we took action in the short term to relieve some of the pressures from energy prices on families, but we are doing what really matters in the long term, too, to make sure we have a long, better future.

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