Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question goes to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. On 10 October, the minister said in a speech: 'We will need to install about 40 seven-megawatt wind turbines every single month and more than 22,000 500-watt solar panels every single day to meet the government's 82 per cent renewables target by 2030.' How many wind turbines and solar panels have been installed since you've come to government?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Members on my right and left. There is far too much noise in the chamber. I will give the call—

Member for Barker.

The member for Petrie will cease interjecting. When the House comes to order, I'll give the call to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

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

I thank the honourable member for that question—I really do!—because it gives me an opportunity to remind the honourable member and remind the House of our plans to get us to 82 per cent renewables by 2030 and of our plans to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. And, yes, I thank the honourable member for quoting my speeches. He's welcome to do it as much as he likes!

I was making the point in that speech that we have a lot of catching up to do after a decade of denial and delay. We are walking out to the crease late in the match, because we are making up for a decade of doing nothing when they were in office, so now we have to work faster to reduce emissions by 2030. And, yes, those figures I quoted were correct. They underline the size of the task. They underline the size of the task of transmission, and I welcome questions on transmission, because this government has delivered a deal with the government of Tasmania and the government of Victoria. Those opposite talked about it for six years, and we delivered it in six months. You are going to see more of that type of action tonight, tomorrow and next week as well.