Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. What is the government's policy to support the development of renewable energy projects after 2020?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The honourable member should be well aware that our commitment to the Paris treaty requires substantial reductions in emissions up to 2030. We are already meeting and beating our Kyoto targets. The renewable energy target is set at 2020. All of these renewable energy targets, and indeed the whole climate policy, will be addressed and reviewed in the course of next year, and that has been the case for some time. I will invite the minister to add further to this answer, but I just want to remind the honourable member of this very important point: renewable energy is a means to an end. The national objective, the national commitment, that we have is to meet the Paris targets. The manner in which we meet that will be partly by renewable energy targets and partly by other measures, such as the Emissions Reduction Fund. I invite the minister to add further to this answer.

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will wait for a second. The Leader of the House will cease interjecting, and the member for Shortland will leave under 94(a). I tried to do that as efficiently as possible. I now call the minister.

The member for Shortland then left the chamber.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House makes a very good point: we are not going to introduce a carbon tax. The Labor Party took another tax to the last election. Do you know who said that? The member for Hunter. The member for Hunter went on the Bolt program and was asked the question:

Can I go back to what you already alluded to? You said you can call it a tax.

And the member for Hunter said:

You can call it a tax if you like—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on direct relevance. You do not get a question as specific in policy terms as what has been put here. In fairness to the minister, it was directed to the Prime Minister at the time, but there was no preamble. There is no politics in it. It is a straight question about their policy beyond 2020.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business can resume his seat. As the Manager of Opposition Business well knows, even when there are two answers within the one question, the minister is entitled to a preamble. But the minister must now move to the substance of the question.

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is uncomfortable for the opposition to know that Australia has met its Kyoto targets and is on track to meet our 2020 targets by 78 million tonnes. We have a 2030 target of 26 to 28 per cent, which is among the highest in the G20 on a per capita basis. We have a whole suite of policies, of which the 23½ per cent renewable energy target is one. We have an Emissions Reduction Fund, which has reduced emissions at a cost of abatement of just $12.10 per tonne. That is much better than the punitive carbon tax. We have ARENA, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the renewable energy target. We have a suite of policies, and we have introduced the Paris agreement into the parliament for ratification. Those opposite have given us the 'cash for clunkers'. They have given us the green loans. They have given us the pink batts. They have given us the carbon tax. (Time expired)