Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The pathway to net zero emissions by 2050 must be undertaken in a measured and prudent way in order to sustain the continued growth of the Australian economy, keep the cost of living under control for my constituents and ensure that our nation remains competitive in international markets.

Western Australia is a highly productive state, with agriculture, resources and energy contributing heavily to the national economy. Many of my constituents are employed in the mining and construction industries. Many are fly-in fly-out workers, tradespeople, contractors and small-business owners. It is incumbent on our government to ensure that their standard of living is not negatively affected by international treaties, which increase the cost of production. We must protect the jobs and livelihoods of Australian workers and farmers, particularly those living in rural and regional areas, by ensuring that our policies do not have an adverse effect on productivity or the cost of production. Access by industry and households to affordable and reliable baseload power is essential to avoid supply interruptions.

It is important to ensure that all nations meet their international emissions commitments, and this must be enforceable—particularly among the populous developing nations that are large emitters, such as India and China. Australia, acting on its own, will have a negligible effect on global emissions. Where a transition to renewable sources of energy is not economically viable or reliable in the short term, the use of transitional fuels, such as liquefied natural gas, must be considered in the interim as technologies evolve. Studies indicate that the viable use of fuels, such as ammonia and hydrogen, will still not be viable for more than a decade. A commitment to ambitious emissions targets necessitates a national debate on the use of nuclear energy as an economical low-emissions alternative energy source to carbonised fossil fuels.

Only a coalition government will ensure that the transition to achieving low emissions is implemented in an economically responsible manner, using transitional fuels and new technology, and is done in a financially viable way to protect our national economy and the living standards of Australians. In my electorate, advanced research has been undertaken into renewable energy at the School of Engineering at Edith Cowan University. On a recent visit, I viewed studies into wind turbines and solar inverters, which will improve efficiency and reduce the cost of renewable energy to consumers and industry.