Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, what is the impact on the economy of a net zero emissions target by 2050?

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

If you have the right plan, it's a positive impact.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left!

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

If you have the right plan—if you have technology, not taxes; if you don't have a carbon tax; if you actually have a plan that respects people's choices rather than forces their choices; if you have a balance of technologies, a portfolio of technologies, that can get to scale and that can get to an affordable cost; if you can ensure that you get the balance right between affordable and reliable energy; if you don't rush the plan and you allow those technologies to develop; if you have your transmission fuels in place to ensure you keep the lights on and the costs down; and if you have a credible plan with the proper transparency Australia is well known for—it can be a great positive for Australia. But, if you take the approach that those opposite took when they were in government, which put in place a carbon tax—

Opposition members interjecting—

I note that Labor senator, Senator Gallagher, has belled the cat that a carbon price from Labor is back on the table. So, ultimately, in anyone's ambitions to achieve net zero, it's all about the plan. It's all about the economic plan and who Australians would trust with the economic plan that can take Australians through what will be a very challenging time and who they can trust to really look after rural and regional Australia—who they can really trust to do that. And they know that they can't trust the Labor Party on these issues. At the last election, they took a policy to the election—

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

I'd just say that the Prime Minister is now drifting from what was a very specific question. He's compared and contrasted but he's now drifted off the question, and I need him to come back to the question.

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

Mr Speaker, again, with the right plan, it's a positive benefit. But we know that the global economy is changing as the world responds to climate change.

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

That is true. Those changes will have an impact on the Australian economy. They present risks and threats to rural and regional areas. Only the coalition can be trusted to ensure that we can deal with those threats and that we can support rural and regional Australia. And, if you don't believe me, believe the member for Hunter. The member for Hunter makes it pretty clear that Labor has lost its way on that issue.