Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. The New South Wales government has committed to substantial subsidies for electric vehicles. Does the transport minister believe this will kill the weekend?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have great pleasure in taking this question. Quite obviously, if he were going to help electric cars he would have supported the ARENA legislation. But, of course, the Labour Party last night did not support it, and there's a reason for that. I'd like to quote the honourable member for Grayndler and the honourable member for Hunter, because this goes to the reasoning on how we finance electric cars. The member for Grayndler said:

… we don't think that carbon capture and storage should come at the expense of using the existing renewable energy frameworks such as the Clean Energy Finance Corporation …

But the member for Hunter said:

… and it's regrettable that Labor is now opposing $1.2 billion worth of public investment—

that could go to things such as electric cars—

in carbon-reducing innovation simply because we don't like the entities being used to spend the additional money.

Then he said, and this is the clincher:

Now, that is ideological craziness.

So I think the member for McMahon should be asking the member for Grayndler about his ideological craziness, because the member for McMahon himself said the Senate just voted—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his 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—

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

Yes, I thought that would be the point of order. I think I can rule on it.

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

The minister gave a quote about the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

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

You can resume your seat. The difficulty is with the question. The question was a short question. It was a succinct question, but the problem with it is that it's unanswerable when the question is: do you believe this'll kill the weekend?

Mr Albanese interjecting—

And you've just made my point: it's not a question; it's a political statement. So I'm not going to insist on a yes/no answer. I will say to the Deputy Prime Minister: there wasn't any question about alternatives and he just needs to confine himself now to the policy matter that was in the question. But that's why I allowed some latitude. If you want me to strictly enforce the rules on questions, I'm happy to start, but I don't think you'll be very happy with it. The Deputy Prime Minister.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I will go to the point of what will kill the weekend. What will kill the weekend for the member for Grayndler most of the time is the member for Hunter. That kills the weekend for him; it actually destroys the weekend for him. I think what kills the weekend for many people on the other side is that they're on the other side. That's what hurts them on the weekend. What other issues might kill the weekend for them? Well, of course, there is a whole bevy of reasons for frustrations that have built up over such a long period of time, because they have as their leader the man who's about to go on long service leave for good. They're going to be there forever. That is going to hurt the weekend.

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

I'll just say to the Deputy Prime Minister: you've concluded your answer. I think we've agreed on that at precisely the same time.