Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Now that the House of Representatives, this very alive home of democracy in Australia—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You bring in the crowds. Now that the House of Representatives has expressed the collective will of the majority of MPs—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! There is only one member who has the call and that is the member for Lyne.

Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now that the House of Representatives has expressed the collective will of the majority of MPs and chosen the conservative path of low-cost, low-risk policy, finally choosing certainty in economic policy via an emissions trading scheme, can the Prime Minister confirm that the grants programs, particularly the food-processing program and the Biodiversity Fund, will be released as quickly as possible?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lyne for his question and I thank him for supporting our opportunity today to seize a clean energy future. I thank him for his support. All through this debate and discussion in the House of Representatives and beyond, people have been concerned at our ability to work with Australian employers and ensure that we protect Australian jobs. The package of legislation that the House of Representatives has passed today does protect Australian jobs. There are some important programs directed towards helping Australian businesses seize a clean energy future. They are directed in part to businesses in the food sector and to businesses like foundries; but they are also directed beyond—assistance as Australian businesses seize a clean energy future.

I have been asked specifically about the commencement date of the clean technology programs. This is an important suite of programs: $1.2 billion to directly help improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon pollution in manufacturing industries. We have particularly recognised the circumstances of food processors and set aside $150 million for them to move to cleaner technology. Last month the government released a discussion paper on the operation of this $1.2 billion suite of clean technology programs. The department that is relevant to this, the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, is consulting with stakeholders to make sure that the very specific design of this program works well to meet their needs. It is anticipated that the first funding from this program will be awarded in May 2012 and a call for applications will be launched in the first half of 2012.

The member also asked me about the Biodiversity Fund. This is also a very important part of the measures we are taking to ensure our nation seizes a clean energy future. These are complementary to the foundation stone of a carbon price. The government will establish an ongoing biodiversity fund with funding of $946 million over its first six years to support landholders that undertake projects to establish, restore, protect or manage biodiverse carbon stores. This is about our unique Australian environment and keeping it for the future. Mr Speaker, I can advise the House in answer to the member's question that the government expects to appoint an interim board shortly to further the delivery of these land sector measures under the Biodiversity Fund. The government is committed to ensuring the delivery of the funding under the Biodiversity Fund begins this year, and to that end we expect draft guidelines to be released over summer, with the initial allocation of funding likely to be announced in the first quarter of 2012.

These are important measures, but they stand on the foundation stone of putting a price on carbon, the cheapest way of ensuring that we seize a clean energy future.