Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I note that more than 150 countries, including almost all major economies and most of our trading partners, have committed to net zero by 2050. So I was very surprised to hear the former speaker, the former deputy prime minister, say that the coalition will not be supporting the Net Zero Economy Authority Bill. I was very surprised, because we know that to reach the crucial milestone of net zero we need to transform industries and complex economies as well as the way we live our lives. That's why I stress again how disappointed I was to see the coalition divesting themselves, cutting themselves off from the 150 other countries that are committed to net zero.

I've been in this parliament a long time. I came here in 2007. I saw what happened when Tony Abbott took control of the Liberal Party on an anti-climate-change ticket. He knocked off Malcolm Turnbull. I then went to that other place. I don't normally go there but I went to that other place and saw the Greens sit with the Liberal Party and the National Party and vote against the carbon pollution reduction scheme, which locked this nation out of the economic opportunities that come with responding to climate change and delivering a better country for the next couple of generations.

I am part of generation X. When I think of my kids in generation Y and generation Z and generation alpha, how can we stand at that dispatch box and say, 'This is not our problem.'? It sickens me to think that the coalition would go down that road again. I should say there were two Liberals senators that crossed the floor and sat with the Labor Party on that vote. I should call out those Liberal senators: Sue Boyce from Queensland and Judith Troth from Victoria, who had the guts to stand up because they believed in the future of this nation and who were then punished by their party for exercising that individuality.

I go back to the legislation before the chamber that I hope the coalition will reassess their position on, because the United Nations calls the transition to net zero 'one of the greatest challenges humankind has faced', and nowhere will it be felt more than in the energy sector, which globally is the source of around 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. In Australia the make up in 2022 was: energy 56 per cent; transport 20 per cent; agriculture 17.4 per cent; fugitive emissions, particularly from mining and the like, 10.5 per cent; industrial processes seven per cent; and waste three per cent.

A simple definition of net zero is when carbon emissions, otherwise known as greenhouse gases, are cut to the level that they can be absorbed naturally, leaving zero carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Obviously, it is hard to get to zero because of volcanoes, bushfires, rotting vegetation, animals cutting the cheese, all those other things, so we need to achieve net zero to keep our planet liveable and to try to mitigate the worst effects of climate change and increasing global temperatures. The key to reducing carbon emissions is renewable energy sources. Globally, that will address 75 per cent of the problem. In Australia, as I said, energy is 56 per cent of our emissions.

Climate change is a global crisis. Transforming to net zero is a global endeavour that requires international commitment, cooperation and action. Australia's job is to develop structures and processes to manage this change on a national level, with the problem being that it is a federation. The Net Zero Economy Authority Bill establishes the Net Zero Economy Authority, which will ensure Australia and its regions are well-positioned to prosper in the future net zero global economy. Australia has long been a fossil fuel economy, and I say that as a Queenslander. To work towards net zero by 2050 will mean a transformation in our regions the likes of which we have never ever seen before. That's why we are putting over $189 million over four years from 2023-24 into resourcing for the authority and $53.3 million per year ongoing.

The member for Riverina said we shouldn't do that because the people might be in Canberra. That is his solution to what the UN has called the world's biggest problem. He says, 'No, we can't do it because the people who might help us out might be in Canberra.' Unbelievable. That is so myopic, so shortsighted, like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. Australia is a land of opportunities from our unparalleled natural resources, particularly sunlight, to the strength of our business sector. We have the rule of law, a stable democracy, a diverse economy and a drive for renewable energy. All of these natural advantages position Australia to prosper as we move forward. But such transformation requires forward planning to support employment and the economies of the regional communities traditionally associated with the fossil fuel industry. To the people in Gladstone, in the upper Spencer Gulf, in the Pilbara, in the Hunter and in the Latrobe Valley, the old industrial power zones, you can be assured that Labor has your back.

The development of the Net Zero Economy Authority is a necessary foundation block for our transformation to net zero. This independent statutory authority will have a substantial and important remit. Its overarching purpose is to ensure that Australia's workers and regions are looked after as we move from fossil fuels to renewables. How we navigate the economic and societal changes on the way to net zero is as crucial as getting there itself.

So how will this Net Zero Economy Authority work? On behalf of the government, the authority will be a partner with industry and public and private investors to get the big transformational projects that we need underway. The key focus of this will be shoring up the economic base for the regions. The regions—they're the focus of this legislation. The core projects will be ones that decarbonise existing industrial infrastructure with new renewable energy industries—old power out and new power in. Those opposite forget about the second part of the equation—new power in. New power means more jobs. The authority will assist in coordinating policy and program design to ensure the necessary changes on the road to net zero are orderly.

You just have to look at the facts about our key energy-producing areas to understand the scale of the task ahead. Gladstone and the Central Queensland region produce more than 40 per cent of the state's energy. The area is home to more than half of Australia's coalmines. Many Queensland mines produce metalliferous coal—coal for steelmaking. Transforming these industries will be a national endeavour.

The bill outlines the remit and governance of the authority, as well as establishing a framework for the Energy Industry Jobs Plan. The bill requires the CEO of the authority to engage in a community-of-interest process once a coal or gas fired power station announces its closure. This process will protect jobs and livelihoods and keep regional communities strong—because we believe in businesses and families in these communities. The Energy Industry Jobs Plan will support workers to access new employment in clean energy industries and implement measures to upskill them if necessary.

Importantly, at a societal level, the authority will also promote an understanding of the transformation to net zero amongst communities. It's crucial that our communities understand 'the why' and are engaged and confident in 'the how'. And it will support First Nations people to participate in and benefit from this economic transformation.

This bill follows the substantial progress already made by the Albanese Labor government on our road to net zero. We've invested over $40 billion in planning and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The $20 billion Rewiring the Nation program focuses on modernising the existing energy grid so it can transition to renewable energy, which is a lot more scattered rather than just a couple of focused coal-fired power stations.

Traditionally our resources industry and exports of iron ore, coal, liquid natural gas and aluminium have been the foundation of our national prosperity. Labor recognises the vital importance of the emerging industries of rare earth and critical minerals in the move towards renewable energy. Such minerals are the building blocks of a clean energy future and will be an essential part of our defence landscape for the next 20, 30, 40 or 50 years.

We've already put nearly $2 billion into supporting the decarbonisation of existing industries with the Powering the Regions Fund. And the $6 million invested in the Critical Minerals Facility will support the growth of critical minerals production. Australia is a world leader in the provision of critical minerals, and this expansion will assist in the transition to net zero and provide technology, skills, well-paying jobs and economic benefits. As the Prime Minister said:

My Government is committed to transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower, and harnessing the critical minerals we have at home is crucial to achieving this.

The Albanese Labor government has directed $2 billion into the Hydrogen Headstart program to develop large-scale renewable energy hydrogen projects. And we're proud of the $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund, an initiative opposed by the Liberal Party and the National Party, shamefully. The priority areas for this fund include renewables and low-emission technologies. The National Reconstruction Fund harnesses Australia's strengths and natural resources to position us for a strong and affluent future, making use of our natural wind and solar advantages and all those other things I referred to. We're also collaborating with industry and researchers for input into Australia's first ever National Battery Strategy to develop and support a sustainable and thriving battery supply chain, a chain which will rely on rare earth and critical minerals dug up in Australia.

This forward focused Albanese Labor government, rather than someone driving crazily with their eyes fixed on the rear-view mirror, is getting on with the job when it comes to renewable energy. We've doubled the speed of approvals for new projects. Since coming into office, we've approved 45 renewable energy projects around the country, creating enough power for 2.5 million Australian homes. There are another 128 projects in the approvals process pipeline.

Ten years were wasted with the coalition in government. They didn't have an approvals process pipeline. They had a renewable hose with a dodgy colour-coded tap. We have a renewable energy pipeline. A future made in Australia is one that harnesses our natural strengths and resources. It positions us for emerging markets. It focuses on technology and jobs and provides the building blocks for cleaner and cheaper solutions to energy problems. This is Labor's focus, and we're taking action.

The establishment of the Net Zero Economy Authority is an important part of this process. Industry, employers and unions all support the establishment of the Net Zero Economy Authority, and the authority will be run by people with the required expertise. There are clear experience requirements for the board. Two members must have a union background, and two members must have a business, industry, finance or investment background. The remaining members must have relevant experience, such as experience in economics, regional development and decarbonisation pathways, to name a few. The board will develop a stakeholder panel so that the insights and feedback from affected groups are front of mind during the changes.

In his 'A future made in Australia' speech, the Prime Minister referred to our natural advantages. Some of these are our resources, both underground and above the ground, which are key components of the future of global energy. We're also ideally located next door to the fastest growing region in the world in human history. The Net Zero Economy Authority will harness these advantages. The authority will be responsible for supporting hardworking Australians through this change and working with employers and unions to move them into new renewable energy opportunities. We will do this, as the Prime Minister said, town by town and worker by worker. These workers are highly skilled, and we need their expertise in getting these new industries off the ground.

The future is all about clean energy. That future is so bright that the nation has to wear shades. I do apologise to all those people from the eighties who had to hear that bad line. But Labor has a plan that accounts for workers, communities, industry, regions and the environment. We want all Australians to benefit from the transition to net zero. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy said, 'We will work in genuine partnership with businesses, unions and communities to help make sure no-one is left behind as we seize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity.'

The establishment of the Net Zero Economy Authority provides the foundation for this crucial and necessary opportunity and change. I ask the coalition again to reconsider their opposition to this legislation, to get with the 21st century. Stop looking for the 19th century. The future is in renewables, and I enthusiastically commend the bill to the House.

See this speech in context