Jon Sullivan (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Will the minister inform the House about actions the government is taking to help Australian schools tackle climate change?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Longman for his question. The Australian government is committed to helping our schools take practical, concrete action to tackle climate change and to conserve precious water supplies. I am pleased to inform the House that from 1 July this year the government will roll out its commitments to make every one of Australia’s schools, public and private, a solar school. Under the Australian government’s $489 million National Solar Schools Program, every school in Australia will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $50,000 to install skylights, shade awnings and solar panels, in addition to rainwater tanks and solar hot water systems. This new program represents an additional $153 million on top of the existing green vouchers program. I have to say that it is far more flexible than the previous government’s program.

Under Labor’s plan, schools can choose the most effective way to meet their energy and water efficiency goals, but we are giving schools the option to participate in the existing green vouchers program or wait until Solar Schools is rolled out on 1 July this year. It is clear that many schools are choosing to wait for the more flexible and comprehensive National Solar Schools Program. I note that the member for Flinders, who regrettably is now absent from the chamber—a practice that other members, including the member for Mayo, seem to have undertaken—has been getting quite excited about the transition to Solar Schools. He accused the government of all manner of sins, of wasting water and electricity. He was quoted in the Melbourne Age on 28 December saying, ‘Potentially thousands of projects are now on hold.’ I want to assure the House, in the absence of the member for Flinders, that no projects are now on hold. The government has set a very clear transition timetable for the National Solar Schools Program.

Given the claim of the member for Flinders about projects being potentially on hold, I want to update the House briefly on the progress of the previous government’s program. There was a time last year when one of the most common sights in Australian schools was the member for Wentworth brandishing novelty green vouchers left, right and centre. You can find the paper trail on the member’s own website—a $50,000 voucher at a Far North Queensland school on 3 August, another voucher for a Brisbane school on 23 August, schools in Randwick, schools in Bondi, Rose Bay and Double Bay.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We listened very carefully to the question. It did not ask for alternative policies. Therefore, I ask that you bring the minister back to the original question.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question asked for the government’s actions to assist schools to tackle climate change. The minister will answer that question relevantly.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that what I am about to say is relevant to that question. Naturally the government was keen to see how payments under the former government’s program were actually delivered. Remember, this was a program that was put in place on 17 July last year. It turns out when we look at it that, between 17 July last year and the federal election in November, not one payment was delivered to a school under the green vouchers program. We had the member for Wentworth visiting schools throughout the country, issuing press release after press release, and how much money did schools actually receive?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will not widen the answer into a debate about other matters from history. The question was about what the government is doing to tackle climate change.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not a single cent. The Rudd Labor government is actually delivering commitments. We will not be flying around Australia delivering novelty cheques to schools. We have a comprehensive program to deal with climate change, and Solar Schools is part of that comprehensive program. We want to enable Australian families to reduce their costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be fair dinkum in their efforts to tackle climate change—efforts that this government profoundly supports.