Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Over my time in this parliament, nowhere I have seen the Liberals and Nationals in debate acknowledge—and they do not acknowledge it in this motion—that we are living in a climate crisis and that we need to take immediate action. It is not in this motion, it's not what they're saying in parliament and it's not even in any policy that they put forward to the electorate. How can the alternative government of Australia, in 2024, still not acknowledge the need for meaningful action to address climate change? The Liberals and Nationals still haven't come to terms with where Australia and the world are on this. Nothing tells us this more than their pathological and incessant opposition to renewables. They oppose renewables offshore. They oppose renewables onshore. They oppose transmission, even when it's to connect their own project, Snowy 2.0, to the grid. They promote conspiracy theories about renewables in parliament and they use inflammatory language at rallies outside of it. And their latest energy thought bubble relies on nuclear, something which would not be in the grid until at least 2040. Their 23rd energy policy now rests on this technology, the most expensive form of new power. Nuclear, of course, not only is incompatible with renewable energy but, due to its long lead time, will only give fossil fuels a new lease of life in electricity generation.

The science and the economics tell us that we need to replace fossil fuels with firmed renewable energy. It was for these reasons that this government was elected. Bennelong elected me to help reduce emissions, and Australia elected a parliament to take action on climate change. Australia has told us that we must reduce emissions, with renewables at the heart of our energy production. Our government has set achievable targets: a 43 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and 82 per cent renewable energy in our grids by 2030. They're ambitious but they're achievable. Our focus is on growing renewable energy sources like solar and wind and clean dispatchable capacity such as battery storage to meet these targets. This transition is happening right now, and it must continue.

Since we came to office, renewables in the national energy market have increased by 25 per cent. Minister Plibersek has approved 55 renewable energy projects in two years, enough to power three million homes. To meet our targets, that growth must not only continue but accelerate. Over 90 per cent of coal will exit our energy market by 2040, and that is a good thing. To replace that coal, we cannot wait for nuclear and we certainly cannot afford nuclear. Experts have told us over and over that the best way to replace coal is predominantly with renewables, with gas helping us get there. We have been historically dependent on coal for electricity generation. Fossil fuels currently contribute around 68 per cent to total electricity generation. However, this has to end and is diminishing rapidly.

We are committed to ensuring that this transition happens in a way that provides reliable and affordable energy to all Australians. The role that gas will need to play in that is an important one, but it's not a dominant one. Gas will be a bridge to firm the renewable energy in our grid, because the great thing about gas is that it can be turned off when it's not needed. In a decarbonised economy, the role of gas around the world will change. We must plan for that change and be upfront about it. In the near term, gas will firm renewables as more wind, solar and storage come online. We must prioritise the expansion of renewable energy and ensure that gas is only used when necessary to support the transition. You see, unlike the Liberals, who've had 23 energy policies and been unable to land one, our policy is working. It's clear, it's transparent and we're delivering it.

The government want to reduce emissions, and we want an Australia powered by renewables. Our plan confronts the economic and environmental need to reduce our use of fossil fuels while also ensuring that our renewables transition is firmed when needed. Instead of attacking renewables and giving fossil fuels a new lease of life, this parliament should be working together to make the transition to renewable energy as quick and effective as possible.

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