Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question, but I will tell the House what doesn't reduce emissions and doesn't create jobs. Riding on a kayak around Newcastle harbour doesn't do that; policy does that. The policy of this government does that. Creating the jobs of the future for the Hunter does that. Creating green-energy jobs like the hydrogen hub for the Newcastle port, which we have announced and implemented, is what reduces emissions and creates jobs for the people of the Hunter.

The people of the Hunter know that the jobs of the future are clean-energy jobs. They know that they are jobs related to green hydrogen and offshore wind. They are the jobs that are related to creating energy not just for Australia but for our region and exporting that energy. That's what this government is getting on with the job of doing.

We are also managing a complicated transition. I've got to say, if I was a member of the Greens, I would not have chosen today to ask this government a question about new gas. I would have made a different judgement call because yesterday the Greens voted with One Nation, Senator Babet and Senator Canavan to overturn the code of conduct which requires any new gas to be sent to the domestic market. The Greens have previously had a New South Wales member call for the code of conduct. A Greens MP called Sue Higginson called for the code of conduct and said:

Any guarantee that Australian gas will be reserved for domestic use must come with price caps that ensure our domestic supply prices are not being driven by energy profiteering following armed conflict around the world.

That's what the gas code which they just tried to overturn does. They voted to overturn the gas code, the bit of regulation of the gas industry. They talk tough and say they're anti gas. We bring down a regulation to actually anchor prices and to ensure that domestic supply—not international supply—is secured, and they try and overturn it. They go out with their mates, the new coalition of craziness: One Nation and the Greens! You couldn't make this stuff up. You really couldn't make it up.

I'll tell you what: the Greens embark in slogans and protest; we embark in policy and progress. That's what we are delivering: jobs for the future for the people of the Hunter and emissions down, driven by the great energy regions of Australia, including the Hunter, the Illawarra, Gippsland and so many others. That's what good policy does. It engineers this most massive economic transformation. That's what this government is leading. The Greens can engage in protest and they can vote with One Nation, Senator Babet and Senator Canavan on their silly little stunts. We'll be getting on with the job.

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