Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. I refer to his new resources minister's statement:

We have got a real risk particularly with solar panels and lithium batteries that they could turn out to be this generation's asbestos.

Does this statement reflect his government's policy?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Under our government, we have now one of the highest rates of solar panels on people's roofs of any country in the world and, under our government's policy, we know the future of emissions reduction and renewable energy is achieved through technology, not taxation. We know you achieve it not by putting people's electricity prices up. We know that you don't put more taxes on it. And we know that you don't wipe out jobs in regional Australia, because of the approaches that those opposite would have applied to the Australian people had they been elected at the last election. The Minister for Resources and Northern Australia is an electrical engineer. He could write on a postage stamp what the Leader of the Opposition would know about this issue compared to the new minister. What we have in the minister for resources is someone who understands the importance of our resources industry.

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

The Prime Minister will resume the seat. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. It was a very specific question. It was about the comments that solar panels and lithium batteries are this generation's asbestos. Is that the government's policy?

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. It is a specific question. The Prime Minister has been entitled to a preamble and is entitled to address what the government's policy is, and he's been doing that. I think that the difficulty, when it comes to answering questions, is that the questioner can't demand, essentially, what's a yes or a no answer. In being asked, 'Does this represent the government's policy?' the Prime Minister's entitled to say what the government's policy is. I'm listening to him very carefully, but beyond that and the specifics of the question he can't stray into other areas.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can confirm that the small-scale renewable energy technology package remains part of the government's policy and will continue to remain part of the government's policy. I've been asked about comments by the minister for resources. He has a lot of common sense—and I quote:

"As an electrical engineer I can tell you solar panels don’t work in the dark,” Mr Pitt told the ABC in July 2019. "We can’t have the entire Australian economy be reliant on the weather. Otherwise you’d only be working between 11am and 3pm in the afternoon if it’s just on solar. You won’t do anything in the dark."

The minister for resources is making the point—which seems lost on those opposite—that, if you're putting all your eggs in one basket on intermittent renewables, you cannot support jobs and heavy industry. The Leader of the Opposition needs a GPS to explain his policy.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's got one policy on climate in north Queensland and another one down in Melbourne, just like the former member for Maribyrnong. He needs a location services enabler to define the climate policy of the opposition. Mr Speaker, they can't even tell you what their 2030 target is, and if you ask the deputy leader of the Labor Party—normally so eloquent at this dispatch box, as he comes and gives each audition without notes—about coal—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs is warned. He's not going to bellow at me. I've warned him before about his incredibly loud voice. It penetrates my ear. If you keep going, I'll be deaf in this ear; then I won't hear anything you say. And I can assure the Prime Minister he doesn't need to talk to me about the allocation of the call. I've got it all in hand. Simple. Just go from one side to the other and—the member for Herbert.