Carina Garland (Chisholm, 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 strengthening the safeguard mechanism, and what will be the environmental and economic outcomes of these reforms?

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

The member for Barker will cease interjecting, particularly when ministers are being asked questions and before ministers even begin speaking. If he does that anymore, he will not be here in question time.

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. I know how important she feels today's vote in the House of Representatives to pass the safeguard reforms is, and I know all her colleagues agree with her. Today, the House of Representatives sent a message to investors right around Australia, to industry right around Australia and to investors right around the world: the climate wars are in retreat. Not every member of this House gets it, that is true, but the parliament as a whole understands it—in this House and, I am very confident, in the other House as well. This is important because after 10 years of denial and delay the time for action is now.

The honourable member asked me what the environmental and economic implications of the passage of the bill will be. The environmental implications are very clear. We would not have achieved our targets without passing this bill and without implementing this reform. That is very clear. That is unimportant to some in the House. Some in the House will be just fine with Australia not achieving its 43 per cent emissions reduction target. Some in the House have opposed, and continue to oppose, the 43 per cent emissions reduction target. But the government are committed to the 43 per cent emissions reduction target and we are delivering it. We are delivering it, importantly, today. The removal of 205 million tonnes of emissions as a result of these reforms is absolutely vital. It's the equivalent of two-thirds of the cars on the Australian roads. That is what is at stake and that is why it's important that the House did what it did today and that the Senate will do so in a few days time.

It's also important economically, because we have sent a message to the world. The days of 22 energy policies are over. The days of changing and switching between policies are over. Under this government, this country has one energy policy and we're getting on with delivering it. There's one energy policy that will be delivered. The Albanese government get things done. I know this is an unusual concept for those opposite. There are ways that a government will actually deliver a policy. We actually get things done. We work with the business community—

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

The Treasurer will cease interjecting.

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

We welcome the response of the Business Council and peak groups today in response to this government's ability to get its agenda through—something which has not been seen for the last decade. It's important, as the world decarbonises, that Australia gets its share of the economic action. It was not happening before May last year. Business as usual would see emissions go up and opportunities lost. Business as usual is not acceptable to this government. We will work with the business community to see emissions down and jobs up, and that's exactly what we are doing.