Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. How is the Albanese Labor government supporting regions in the transition to a clean energy economy? How does the government's energy policy complement the government's priority to create manufacturing jobs?

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 her question and recognise her leadership on regional jobs and renewable energy. She knows they go hand in hand.

I'm very pleased to report to the member for Bendigo and the House the latest figures from the Clean Energy Regulator, released in the last 24 hours, showing large-scale renewable energy investment up 50 per cent last year. The Clean Energy Regulator advises me a significant majority of that increase occurred after May, because the only thing holding Australia back was not a lack of renewable energy but a lack of policy.

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

The member for Groom will cease interjecting.

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

Twenty-two energy policies in nine years. I'm also pleased to inform the House—

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right. I know it's Thursday and everyone's a bit excited, but can everyone just remain silent so I can hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. That question contained absolutely no reference to the policies of the previous government. It referred to how does this government's policy complement this government's manufacturing policy. The minister, who is a serial offender—

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

Resume your seat. I will uphold the point of order. There was no comparison to the former government. I ask the minister to return to the question.

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

I can also inform the House that electric vehicle sales are up 87 per cent, in the latest figures, thanks to the electric vehicle tax cut put through by the government and opposed by the opposition.

Under the Albanese government, we don't just want to make renewable energy in Australia; we want to make what makes renewable energy in Australia. We want to make solar panels and batteries and electrolysers and transformers in Australia. That's why we have the National Reconstruction Fund. Up to $3 billion is allocated for clean energy investments, and $1 billion is allocated—as the Minister for Resources said—for adding value to critical minerals. We are the world's largest supplier of so many critical minerals, but we also want to process and add value, and that takes investment and that takes governments working together because this means jobs.

Who could be against such a policy? Who could be against investing in Australian jobs? Perhaps the same operation that opposed the 43 per cent target being legislated, which has attracted so much of that renewable energy investment. Or perhaps it is the same people who opposed the electric vehicle tax cut, or perhaps the same people who opposed their own safeguard crediting mechanism, which they suggested just 12 months ago.

When the member for Hume is not congratulating himself on Facebook, he's in a debate with himself about policy about safeguard mechanisms.

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

The minister will resume his seat. I will call the manager when the House comes to order.

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy will soon be back on the microphone. I don't need to hear from him just yet. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is defying your ruling. You were very clear in what you directed the minister to do, and he is ignoring you. He's once again trampling—

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

Resume your seat. I invite the minister back to the question.

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

The Albanese government is getting on with the policy of investing in manufacturing and investing in the energy transition. As the previous ministers have said, we will do so with or without the support of the opposition. It tells the Australian people a lot about the opposition that they're against our policies and they're against their own policies. This is what happens when you have a leader of the opposition with no ideas of his own, with no vision for our country and who is not prepared to act in the national interest. We know that members opposite know that these policies are in the national interest because we read about the shadow cabinet reports. Yet they still vote against them. This is what happens when you have a leader of the opposition who is all opposition and no leader.