Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware that CSIRO has confirmed to Senate estimates this morning that it has cut its renewables research by five per cent in the last year? Is the Prime Minister aware that CSIRO is shutting down altogether its project on splitting water to create hydrogen fuel—a $1 million setback to renewable energy research? Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Commonwealth’s own scientific research body spent zero dollars on wind research and only $4½ million on solar last year?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I refer you to pages 539 and 540 of House of Representatives Practice, which explain the intent of questions to obtain factual information. They say that speeches may not become lengthy or—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Mackellar raises a valid point of order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will come to her question.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Isn’t the Prime Minister’s announcement today all about trying to provide political cover for failing to commit to the serious emission reduction targets at the core of the Stern report?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Jagajaga for her question, but I would suggest she not mislead the House by saying that CSIRO has reduced its investment in renewable energy technologies. That is just not correct.

Opposition Member:

Then why did they say that?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They didn’t. CSIRO reviews its research portfolio annually. Research projects sometimes cease; the investment is redirected into another area of similar research. So the million dollars that the member for Jagajaga is referring to, relating to the investigation of water-splitting technology, has been redirected into another renewable energy research project. So it is exactly the same amount of money in another renewable energy research project.

This attack on CSIRO is quite out of bounds. CSIRO is our premier scientific organisation. It rates in the top one per cent of scientific organisations around the world in 13 out of 22 areas of scientific research. In fact—the member for Jagajaga refers to the investment in solar thermal technologies—it was announced today that CSIRO has been awarded an additional almost $3 million in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate to be applied to solar thermal technologies. CSIRO is leading the world in a range of technologies, not only on variable energy but renewable energies, and has the government’s complete support.

Phillip Barresi (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question follows the answer from the Minister for Education, Science and Training. It is addressed to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. Is the minister aware of new project funding announced today that will help boost clean development and combat climate change?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Plibersek interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney!

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Deakin for the question. He has very strong credentials in the area of the environment and supports the government’s ongoing role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This government is taking a leading role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, not just here but across our region. In the last week we have seen the government invest some $250 million in groundbreaking projects under the Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund, and this morning we saw another key plank in our climate change strategy, with the Prime Minister announcing a further $60 million for 42 clean energy projects as part of Australia’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. This funding will help develop a suite of practical emission-reducing measures amongst partnership countries—technologies ranging from renewable energy to energy efficiency right through to clean coal.

While the rest of the world talks about what should be done, in just nine months six nations representing 50 per cent of the world’s economy, 50 per cent of the world’s people and 50 per cent of the world’s emissions have put in place the practical foundation for the solution to greenhouse gas emissions. Left behind, waiting for a clue, waiting for an idea, is the Labor Party, still clinging to old Kyoto, still wanting to impose unwanted and unfair costs on the economy, still wanting to send our industries—

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Come on, laugh at your own jokes again!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Bruce!

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and our jobs overseas.

Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Laugh at your own jokes!

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Bruce is warned!

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The debate has moved on, but Labor is stuck in the past with a scheme designed in Europe in the last century. This government, the Howard government, continues to support Australia’s world-leading innovation, which can and will deliver real solutions to the greenhouse gas challenge and see them deployed right across the world. This government will continue to back innovative, practical measures on climate change, because taxes and targets do not deliver; technology does.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister recall saying on 19 March 2003 at the National Press Club in relation to Iraq and Australia’s approach to being a part of the coalition of the willing:

I don’t believe sitting on the sidelines is either good for Australia nor do I believe it has ever really been the Australian way.

Prime Minister, using your Kyoto logic, shouldn’t Australia have waited until every other country invaded Iraq before we sent in troops? Prime Minister, why isn’t Australia one of the 165 countries who have ratified Kyoto, who make up the coalition of the willing against dangerous climate change?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Laurie Oakes is right: the member for Kingsford Smith ought to take his place. But the answer obviously is that the analogy drawn by the member is absurd.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Grayndler has asked his question.

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me, while I am on my feet—because this question is obviously about climate change, so the answer I am going to give is relevant—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Albanese interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me quote the words of the leader of one of the other partners in the coalition of the willing in Iraq, a very successful, noble and courageous Labour leader, Tony Blair. I invite everybody who has followed this debate, and particularly the question asked by the Leader of the Opposition at the beginning of question time, to let me read what Tony Blair had to say—and I was wrong when I said it was 26 March. It was 28 March this year, and I apologise for misleading the House. This is what Tony Blair had to say in answer to a question at our joint press—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it is about Kyoto too—and not Kyoto 2, the new Kyoto; Kyoto as well. This is what he had to say:

That is why it is just, as I say, a completely unrealistic debate to say that you could have a climate change agreement that doesn’t involve China and then America obviously, and of course India which is also a country of over a billion people growing at a vast rate. Now we’re not at the stage yet—

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Plibersek interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sydney is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He continued:

that is Tony Blair’s way of saying we have not reached a new Kyoto—

but I think it is possible to build out of the initiatives that are happening today a more realistic framework that gives us a real chance of being able to reduce emissions, which is what we need to do, and protect the climate.

The reality is that the coalition of the willing in Iraq was contributed to by Mr Blair.

Michael Hatton (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hatton interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Blaxland is warned!

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Blair knows, I know and other leaders in the AP6 know that the way of the future is to have an agreement that includes all of the world’s major emitters. If we were to follow the advice and sign Australia up to an arrangement that imposed a carbon price on the valuable resource industries of this country that did not impose the same price on our competitors, we would, in the words of the member for Batman, who cares about the workers of Australia, do enormous damage not only to the resource industries of Australia but to the workers of Australia. If you want progress on climate change, you have got to involve everybody. If you want to destroy one of the most valuable sectors of the Australian economy, hobble the resource industry with a carbon price that is not being borne by our competitors—and that in reality is the policy of the Australian Labor Party.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how the government is helping rural and regional communities during this drought? What is the government’s response to claims that signing Kyoto alone is a quick fix to the problems of drought in Australia?

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Crean interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hotham is warned!

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Maranoa for his question. I recognise that many parts of his electorate in Queensland are drought declared, and they are part of the many regions in which we have declared exceptional circumstances across Australia. I know that many of his constituents appreciate the assistance that the government is giving to farming families in those areas. In only the last two weeks we have announced 62 areas as being in drought exceptional circumstances, and we have increased the assistance we are giving to farming families in those areas. More than 50 per cent of Australia’s agricultural land is now drought declared under exceptional circumstances, which is quite significant. Of course, we have announced extra counselling and emergency grants to be administered by the CWA. Obviously, we are talking to communities such as those communities in the member for Maranoa’s electorate about any other measures that may need to be taken, if warranted, to assist people in those areas. We are not giving them false hope but we are trying in practical ways to help them through this very challenging time.

We all need to remember that, at some stage, it will rain again, and we need to give people hope that that will take place. What we do not need to do is provide false hope that there is a quick fix. We need to recognise that this hot and dry drought is not the longest and not without precedence. The eight-year drought during World War II went for a longer period of time than this drought and, of course, history has recorded that the Federation drought, from the 1890s to 1902, went for longer than the existing drought that we are succumbing to at the moment.

We do need to give people hope. They need to know that we as a nation are going to stand beside them and support them. But we cannot give them the false hope of a quick fix—and that is what the Leader of the Opposition has been doing. He has been creating the illusion that signing Kyoto is going to help out with this dry spell and the hot conditions at the moment. People need to understand that ratifying Kyoto will not stop the El Nino effect. Scientific evidence is in that this drought has been partly caused by an El Nino effect. The El Nino effect on our climatic patterns has been around for a long, long time. In fact, it has been around since before the Industrial Revolution. We did not even have the steam engine when this was happening in our climatic circumstances. Ratifying Kyoto will not stop El Nino, ratifying Kyoto will not change the fact that El Nino has been with us for centuries, and ratifying Kyoto will not prevent future climate change.

The Labor Party has been wont to refer to and quote from the Stern report on climate change coming out of the United Kingdom. But another report has come out of the United Kingdom—a report by an all-party House of Lords committee which included a former Bank of England Governor. Commenting on the compliance mechanisms in the Kyoto protocol, the report said ‘they were very weak and even counter-productive’. They went on to say that the targets that were set were going to make little difference to rates of warming. The Blair government has done nothing to refute those assertions in that report coming out of the House of Lords committee.

The government is responding to and assisting with the drought in Australia in a very practical way. We are providing moral and financial assistance to the farmers of Australia and we are responding to climate change in a very practical way.