Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer to the announcement by the recycling company Global Renewables on 27 March 2007 that it is quitting Australia. Is the Prime Minister aware that Global Renewables chairman Dr John White, who is also the chair of the government’s uranium industry framework, said:

When Australia does get serious about renewables we will hopefully be able to come back.

Prime Minister, when will the government seriously examine renewable energy and substantially increase the mandatory renewable energy target?

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

I thank the member for Melbourne Ports for his question. I have not read the particular remarks attributed to the gentleman you refer to; I do know whom you are referring to, but I have not read those particular remarks. I am aware that some people are critical of our decision not to adopt some three years ago the recommendations of an investigation, I think chaired by former senator Grant Tambling, to significantly increase the mandatory renewable energy targets. We took a decision then to go down the path of providing greater incentives to such things as clean coal technology, and if you look at the energy white paper you will see laid out in very clear language our support for that.

The member asks me to follow Labor policy in extending mandatory renewable targets; that is a very interesting proposition, because I have been told in briefing sessions from officials representing the eight Labor state and territory jurisdictions of Australia that, in advocating the national emissions trading scheme which the eight Labor states and territories want, part of the package is a phase-out of mandatory renewable energy targets because they are incompatible with the notion of a national emissions trading scheme. Perhaps the member for Melbourne Ports might like to factor that into his reflections on what Dr White has said.