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 comments made by Mr Dean Mighell, State Secretary of the ETU, in a letter addressed to me and dated yesterday. He states:

The ETU was shocked to hear the Federal Government’s budget announcement that families who earn over $100,000 before tax are now ineligible for the $8,000 rebate for installing solar panels. This appears to have been an overnight decision. The ETU is not aware of any industry consultation that has occurred prior to this decision being implemented.

If the minister’s own unions are now highlighting the total lack of consultation, the job losses and the small businesses collapsing, why won’t he just reverse this 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 and acknowledge his new-found affection for Dean Mighell and his willingness to cite Mr Mighell as an example of the economic approach of the opposition. The fact is that the Rudd Labor government takes sustainability seriously and it takes the solar industry seriously. It recognises that economic competence and economic capacity go hand in hand when designing programs which would see greenhouse gas emissions come down and us meet the challenges that we have with climate change. The fact is that this program was a five-year program which it seems the opposition were willing to let burn out.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pyne interjecting

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

Order! The member for Sturt!

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

We were not prepared to do that. We wanted a sustainable program. That is what it will be. I point out to members opposite that additional to the measures I have already outlined to the House—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You decided to strangle it now!

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

The member for Sturt is warned!

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

we have a half-a-billion-dollar investment in renewable energy. We have half a billion dollars which we have identified for investment in renewable energy. We have a commitment to solar thermal. We have been talking about solar in this House for a long time and now this government is acting.

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

I seek leave to table the letter from the Electrical Trades Union.

Leave not granted.