Steve Gibbons (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to the Prime Minister. Would the Prime Minister update the House on recent developments in renewable energy and progress towards a carbon pollution reduction scheme in Australia?

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

I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. On climate change and action on renewable energy, the government is getting on with the job. Firstly, we passed the renewable energy target legislation, which those opposite did nothing about for 12 years. Secondly, we are in the process of seeking to obtain passage—

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

You can’t just make things up like that!

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

I hear the interjections from those opposite. Where was the renewable energy target legislation introduced by the previous government up to 20 per cent or anything approaching that? I can’t remember it. It took us to promise it to the Australian people, and us to legislate it.

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

Mr Hunt interjecting

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

The more the member for Flinders interjects, the more he doth protest and the more he doth protest too much. The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is the second arm of our strategy and the third is our direct investment in renewable energy technologies.

Today it was my privilege to be at the launch of Infigen’s Capital Wind Farm at Bungendore. This will be the largest wind farm in New South Wales. It joins around 50 wind farms already in operation around the nation and it will boost the nation’s wind power capacity by more than 10 per cent. Sixty-seven turbines on this particular wind farm are generating power capable of supplying some 60,000 homes. Capital Wind Farm has helped train the world’s first wind energy apprentices in electrotechnology—wind, electricity, apprentices. I met three of them this morning and they have a fantastic opportunity at this particular project. But looking at this broadly, across the world, what we have is an explosion of renewable energy technology investment. In wind energy itself last year, and more broadly in renewable energy technologies, we saw US$120 billion invested. That was up from $63 billion just two years before. More than 80 countries around the world have now commenced wind farms and the industry around the world is now employing some 400,000 people. This sort of investment will be encouraged in the future by the renewable energy target legislation.

On top of that, of course, we have the introduction of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. As I said to my good friend and colleague the member for Groom, we are engaged and continue to be engaged in good-faith negotiations with himself and with Leader of the Opposition in the House. What is occurring in the Senate does cause us some concern. We know that the Senate yesterday voted against sitting last night on this matter. They voted yesterday against bringing the matter on for debate. But I am informed today that the debate has commenced in the Senate or is about to commence. This is a good thing. But I am still concerned about what is actually happening in the overall ranks of the coalition and Liberal Party room.

There were some reports yesterday that some 10 people opposite stood to their feet and opposed the course of action being embraced in these good-faith negotiations by the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Groom. It was then put out, apparently, that those 10 party room dissenters did not represent a majority view and that more than that spoke in favour. Then again I see a report from one coalition MP instead claiming today in the AdelaideAdvertiser:

“There were no speakers in favour other than Turnbull himself and Macfarlane,” …

Who knows what the truth of all that is? There is an internal problem within the coalition on these matters, but I encourage the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Groom to continue in this debate.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Turnbull interjecting

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

We are dealing with a reality now in the Senate where the leader of the Liberal Party opposition in the Senate says as follows in response to a question yesterday, 17 November, from David Speers:

David Speers: Isn’t this a problem for the government? Even if they meet all your demands there is no certainty that you will vote for it?

This is yesterday.

Senator Minchin: No, that’s correct. We said that at the outset. That’s the risk the government took in bringing in this legislation.

In other words, as of yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, which is where these matters are now being deliberated, says that even if we negotiate an outcome with the Leader of the Opposition and with their negotiator, the member for Groom, Senator Minchin may not cop this. Can I say to those opposite: we want to continue these good-faith negotiations with the Liberal Party and the National Party, but what we would actually like is for the Leader of the Opposition to assure us that these negotiations have substance. We have said that we are prepared to deal on agriculture. Can I say to the Leader of the Opposition: it is important that he provides an assurance to the parliament of the nation today that they will not block a vote on this in the Senate, that these are good-faith negotiations and that they will be brought to a conclusion, because the nation is demanding action on climate change, not further delay.