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

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. It follows his failure yesterday to deny a meeting in which the government was warned of cost blow-outs in the $2.7 billion pink batts cash splash. I refer the minister to these two quotes for insulation for the same unit in Toowoomba. The first quote, for an area of three by five metres, came in at the maximum government rebate figure of $1,600. The owner decided to get a second quote for the same job. This came in at only $300. Minister, doesn’t this example confirm that the price hikes resulting from the government’s pink batts program are wasting some $900 million of taxpayers’ money?

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. I am reminded of a question that was asked earlier by the member for Hinkler about a matter relating to the insulation program, where we learned—regarding the company responsible for that particular matter—that in fact the points that had been put by way of questions in the House were not an accurate reflection of the views that the general manager put to me. I also reflect that it was this honourable member who jumped out of a plane without a parachute to tell us that solar panel installations were in freefall—this is what we say—when in fact they were at all-time record highs. What I would say to the honourable member is that it is the expectation of the government that installers will ensure that they follow the guidelines that have been laid out for ceiling insulation. I do say to people that they should take the opportunity to get at least two quotes, if not more, in order to assess the quotation that has been given to them. I also say to the honourable member that we have an extensively delivered compliance and auditing program. He knows that himself because only a couple of weeks ago he was calling on the Auditor-General to provide some auditing, and he knows that the Auditor-General has communicated the fact that the existing audit provisions and plans that are contemplated for this program are sufficient for this point in time, and—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

No—I am happy to speak about it even further.

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order going to relevance. Directly on this issue, the Auditor-General indicated it was his department which—

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

Order! The member for Flinders will resume his seat.

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

Mr Hunt interjecting

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

The member for Flinders is warned!

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

The shadow minister, the member for Flinders, was calling on the Auditor-General to take a specific action, which the Auditor-General deemed was not necessary—he has communicated that to me—

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

Mr Hunt interjecting

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

The member for Flinders has been warned!

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

on the basis that the government takes the effective delivery of this program very seriously. We have a number of measures in place, including compliance and auditing measures. We have PricewaterhouseCoopers now involved in making sure that those compliance and auditing measures are done at a national level and at national scale. It is the case that some ceiling insulations will cost at least $1,600 and, in some instances, even more. But the fact is that, since February, this has been the most comprehensive rollout of an energy efficiency program that we have ever seen in this country. We are delivering the opportunity for families to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and for energy costs to be reduced, and we are employing Australians at the same time. I will make sure that this program continues to deliver the very good benefits that it is bringing to the Australian public.