Kelvin Thomson (Wills, 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 on the implementation of the government’s new Energy Efficient Homes package? How will this assist the government’s comprehensive approach to 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 Wills for his question. The Rudd government is committed to a prudent and responsible course of action for addressing the challenges of the future, and that includes a significant implementation of substantial energy efficiency measures as part of the Nation Building and Jobs Plan. Critically, that also means bringing through the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme to begin reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions at least cost as we address the significant challenge of climate change with a $4 billion investment in Energy Efficient Homes, a package that is already supporting jobs and that has supported jobs since the day it was announced—3 February—and there is more to come.

The opposition blocked this plan and, in doing so, they were blocking ready-to-go jobs. But, unlike the opposition, Australia’s insulation and solar hot water industries were on the starting blocks ready to go. The Prime Minister has referred in question time to the CEO of the Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand, who has said:

Making energy efficient homes more affordable and accessible to all Australians is vital for the prosperity of our industry and has far reaching flow-on benefits for Australia.

The fact is that installation and distribution provide the biggest intensive labour application for installing insulation in the ceilings of homes. This was the package that the opposition blocked, and they continue to run it down.

Energy efficiency remains a key plank in the government’s overall approach to addressing climate change. It is an approach that is built around a consistent and coherent policy position. When we look to the opposition, they seem to have fractured into a coalition with about six or seven positions on one aspect of dealing with climate change, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. They are contradicting one another, they are contradicting themselves. I note that the opposition leader, who started off supporting emissions trading, as recently as 15 December described the government’s emission reduction targets as ‘a very significant cut’. He said:

I wouldn’t be misled by the fact that five per cent, for example, looks like a low number.

I note that some commentators have picked up on the fact that on the 23rd of this month he said that the CPRS would be ‘an ineffectual scheme’ because the cut in emissions is going to be very low. So he has gone from ‘very significant’ to ‘very low’ in two months.

Then there is the opposition spokesman on emissions trading, the member for Goldstein. He has a famous view on climate change, given that he regards it as a communist conspiracy. Who could forget his remarks in 2006 that climate change was:

… a leftist fad that will divert resources away from other more needy areas of the economy.

After the fall of communism, it [global warming] has become a cause celebre for the left.

More recently, only on 19 February, the member for Goldstein was floating the idea of a carbon tax.

Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do something without the notes.

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

Order! The member for Cowan will leave the chamber for one hour.

The member for Cowan then left the chamber.

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

Then on Lateline he said that the opposition supports a higher target than the government whilst at the same time he was spruiking the benefits of energy efficiency. So here is the member for Goldstein: a climate change convert despite describing it as a left-wing fad, an energy efficiency convert despite lining up two weeks ago to block the largest rollout in Australia’s history of energy efficiency.

They talk about trajectories when they talk about greenhouse gas emissions, but the coalition has got a position which is carbon taxes, lower targets, higher targets. Of course, finally we can always rely on a timely outbreak of the foundational position of scepticism. Senator Minchin reminded us yesterday when he took the ABC to task for referring to carbon dioxide as pollution. According to Senator Minchin, it is ‘grossly misleading for the ABC to describe carbon dioxide as an air pollutant’.

Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hear, hear.

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

‘Hear, hear,’ they say on the other side of the House. I need say no more in this answer. But I will go on, because at least Senator Minchin has been consistent. He was a sceptic in government and he is a sceptic in opposition, but the rest of the coalition’s position on this matter is hopelessly contradictory.

The government has an employment component of the Energy Efficient Homes package which will put ceiling insulation into the homes of 2.7 million households. It is undeniable that from day one it was the insulation fitter who said on ABC radio:

Our own company had to lay off a shift in one of our plants just before Christmas. We’ll be putting that shift back on.

The Rudd government delivers in supporting Australian jobs. That is exactly what the Energy Efficient Homes package is already delivering.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.