Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It gives me immense pleasure to table a petition of students, teachers and affiliates of Huntingtower School in my electorate of Chisholm. It has been to the Petitions Committee, is in accordance with standing orders and has been approved.

Huntingtower is an amazing educational facility in my electorate. It is a school community with an enormous heart whose greatest desire is to do good for all. The school motto, 'Know thy true self' is reflected in the terrific students I have dealt with over the years at Huntingtower and, most particularly, the members of the current school prefect committee. Naomi Lee, of her own volition, asked if I would visit the school to receive a petition that she and other school prefects had been collating. This initiative is by the students alone, with no teacher or parental involvement.

Many teachers and parents have signed the petition, but this initiative was driven by concerned young people who have a greater appreciation of our environment than the current environmental minister possesses. These students are also currently undertaking VCE and the role of prefects in their school, so they are already carrying a heavy load. But they were so concerned about the issue that they have research the impact and come up with a viable solution to address the problem.

The subject of peak oil was discussed in their VCE studies and it captured their imaginations and concerns. So instead of just filing it away and rallying against politicians who do not seem to care, they did something: they put together a petition and presented it to me, and now I have the pleasure of being able to table it in this place.

The petition read as follows—

from 426 citizens

Petition received.

In a week when we have seen the Abbott government announce a cut to the renewable energy target of more than 40 per cent, which will ruin the renewable energy industry, cost thousands of jobs and see investment move offshore, I am pleased the future leaders in my electorate have a greater insight into the need for urgent action on climate change and the desire to achieve more sustainability for all of us.

On top of this, the Abbott government has already created great uncertainty in the biofuels sector, with its decision to abandon the commitment made to retain the effective excise-free status of renewable biofuels until 2021. Biofuels Association Australia was deeply disappointed at this short-sighted saving measure, which has put at risk over $100 million, which had been invested into the industry based on the policies in place. Biofuels still represent a genuine opportunity for Australia to diversify its liquid fuel supply. As the BAA puts it:

An opposition member interjecting—

Hear, hear! The students of Huntingtower get this! The so-called environment minister does not have a clue. He is stuck in a false belief that lower electricity prices are more important than a sustainable future. He views any reduction in a power bill as the saviour of tomorrow. It is a pity that electricity prices are not coming down in most households. I have been told of a bill where the saving was proudly trumpeted as 29c!

Action is needed for a sustainable tomorrow in Australia and that is why I am pleased to present this petition today. The Abbott government has tried its hardest to destroy the renewable energy industry with its politically motivated Warburton review. We need to do more. We need to ensure that the RET, which was actually introduced by the Howard government, continues to have bipartisan support. We need to have renewables into the future. The students in my electorate know that we need action to diversify our energy and fuel sources. It is a crying shame that the Abbott government does not have a clue. Full marks to Naomi and the students at Huntingtower and a complete 'fail' to the Minister for the Environment and his short-sighted government for not taking the sustainability of our future more seriously.