Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whilst I am always fascinated by history, I would like to talk about a more contemporary issue this evening. I am privileged to present tonight a petition from Mary Whiteside, a constituent in my electorate of Chisholm—and I do not think Mary will mind me saying that she is on the sunny side of 70 and an incredibly vivacious and active woman in my electorate. I am very happy to actually table the petition that is critical of the government and I want to applaud Mary’s efforts in literally doorknocking house-to-house in her surrounding suburbs and in going to train stations and other places to get people to sign her petition.

Mary is a passionate advocate of clean energy and of the need to do something urgently about climate change. Although she is not known for being involved in politics or agitation, she is so committed to this that she has been pounding the streets, joining groups and looking at websites in the belief that we need to do something. She wanted to show that the ordinary citizen is concerned about this issue. She wanted to show that it is not just about big business and not just about the economy. It is about the ordinary citizen who is passionately concerned about the future of our environment and is concerned that we will surrender our future if we do not actually do something fairly urgently to deal with this issue of climate change, and to deal with it in a sensible way around alternative energies.

I would like to assure Mary that the Labor Party is committed to doing things within the areas of both carbon pollution reduction and alternative energies. This is Mary’s absolute passion: it is not just about reducing the carbon footprint; it is also about finding other alternative energy sources. The Rudd government will invest up to $100 million in partnership with the energy sector for the development of a new National Energy Efficiency Initiative, using 21st century technology to assist our transition to a low-carbon economy by encouraging a smarter and more effective energy network. We are not just introducing the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme; we are also moving towards alternative energy sources so that we can create a situation where there is less carbon going into our environment.

Smart grid technology will be introduced which uses sensors to monitor electricity supply across distribution networks using communication networks such as broadband technology. Smart grids help to more easily integrate renewable energy like solar and wind power into the grid, and enable energy generation in homes, schools and businesses to be stored and shared. I know this is a passion of Mary’s. She has put solar panels on her own home. She has put in water tanks. She is an individual who is doing absolutely everything she can to ensure that she reduces her carbon footprint, and she is keen to ensure that other people have the ability and the wherewithal to get into other forms of energy sources.

Smart grids and smart meters are subjects I discussed quite recently at the Chadstone campus of GippsTAFE in my electorate. I was there with the Prime Minister just the other day. They are training apprentices to be able to produce and install the smart meter technology. So there are many things happening. I really want to commend Mary for her tireless efforts in going out there and raising the voice of the concerned citizen. She was absolutely passionate that I make it clear that it is not just about big business, politics and the media. It is actually the people in their own homes that are genuinely concerned about this issue and who want to see change.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives.

As a concerned citizen I would like to express my disappointment at the lack of Government policy to encourage alternative energies.

I believe the current proposal locks in a 5% carbon reduction target till 2020. This is totally inadequate to effectively deal with the increasing climate change the effects of which are so obvious in increasing temperatures, drought, fire and flood.

Scientists are indicating that we need to aim for zero emissions of carbon within ten years to retain an habitable environment. Climate change should be treated as an emergency and work begun to cool our planet.

The financial crisis is also an opportunity to rethink our reliance on fossil fuels.

The undersigned respectfully request that the Government reverse its decision to spend money on the coal industry and instead spend all that is necessary to develop clean alternative energy such as solar power, wind power and electric cars.

from 265 citizens

Petition received.