Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, 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 reforming the safeguard mechanism to ensure Australia's biggest emitters contribute a fair share of emissions reductions? What are the consequences of uncertainty in energy and climate policy?

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

Thanks to my friend the member for Higgins for that question. What a passionate advocate for the values of the people of Higgins she is! What a contribution she's made in her time in this chamber so far!

This government went to the election promising to reform the safeguard mechanism, to reduce emissions from a sector which represents 28 per cent of Australia's emissions. We're talking about reducing emissions by 205 million tonnes by 2030. So this is a big and important deal, and it's also important for industry to provide certainty and to provide stability.

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

The member for Fairfax will cease interjecting.

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

That's why this reform has been backed by the Business Council, the Australian Industry Group and ACCI, who have all released statements calling for this package to pass the parliament. So industry certainty is key.

But I'll tell you what is not industry certainty: that's flipping positions between last year and this year. Yesterday the shadow Treasurer was asking the Prime Minister about something he'd said in 2006. Well, in 2021, the member for Hume was backing safeguard crediting—not that long ago. In 2021, the member for Hume said:

The new Safeguard Crediting Mechanism would provide an incentive to businesses to reduce their energy costs and emissions by undertaking transformative projects.

That's exactly what we are proposing in the Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill.

Industry certainty is also important when it comes to downward pressure on prices. That's why we intervened in December to act on energy prices. This is important for households and small business, but it's also important for big business and industries, because big industrial producers are also big energy users. That's why the Aluminium Council backed our intervention, saying, 'The council welcomes the actions of the government to meaningfully address gas prices in the short term and medium as a stepping stone to a long-term solution.' So the opposition cry crocodile tears about big industry, but they weren't there for big industry last December, when the government was acting.

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

The Leader of the Nationals will cease yelling.

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

We know they voted against it. The shadow minister issued a press release on certainty on 1 February, and he accused us and said our energy intervention was disastrous. Then he complained it was too late; he said we should have acted sooner. So it was disastrous and too late. Then he said it was rushed. So, in one press release, he said it was bad, too soon and too late. They can't get certainty in one press release. He made more sense in Hiroshima, where he issued a video saying, 'Hiroshima—what can we learn from nuclear?' It made more sense. He was on the world's worst Contiki tour, promoting nuclear in Fukushima and Hiroshima, and he made more sense then than he does defending their policy certainty, which is completely non-existent. (Time expired)

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right!

The minister for industry!

The member for Fairfax! I can hear every word you're saying. You do not need to yell. Trust me. Order! I want to hear from the member for Hume.