Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I refer the minister to his visit with the now Prime Minister last year to Solartec Renewables Pty Ltd owned by Phil May and his wife, Sophia, where he and the Prime Minister launched Labor’s solar policy. Since the decision to means-test the solar panel rebate, Mr May has lost more than $500,000 in business, has had to give notice to three trusted staff and said publicly, ‘They have totally destroyed the solar industry, absolutely and totally destroyed it.’ Will the minister now apologise to Phil and Sophia for destroying their business and reverse his disastrous decision?

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 honourable member for his question. This government is fully committed to Australia’s solar industry and will remain so. Furthermore, the measures outlined in this budget ensure the sustainability of a solar industry for the long term and address those issues which the former government had not addressed in terms of the delivery of this particular program. I say to the member opposite: this government will bring forward a commitment of some half a billion dollars for Solar Schools, a commitment which will include the delivery of solar panels to Solar Schools, a commitment which was not present in the policies of the former government.

This government will bring forward a commitment to Solar Cities, an additional commitment on top of the commitment provided by the former government. I will point out to the members opposite that the government brought forward spending for this particular program—some $25 million was brought forward to the $150 million outlay. If this program had continued in the way in which it was constructed previously, it was agreed by both industry parties and others that it was overheating. We are producing a policy solution which will deliver sustainable growth and we are in close contact with the solar industry. We will monitor this program closely and we have every expectation that this program with the commitment of $150 million over three years, as opposed to $150 million over five years—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Urban Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order to do with relevance. The question was about an apology.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was yet again an abuse of a point of order.

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

The preamble went to wider issues to do with the question of solar panels, the solar industry and decisions of government. The minister is responding to the question.

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

The government has a strong commitment to the solar industry. I make no apology for the fact that we are bringing forward programs which will ensure the sustainability of the solar industry into the long term.