Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The people of Hasluck voted for change a year ago, and one of the reasons they voted for change is that they want to see Australia embrace the green energy future. They knew that the coalition were never going to get there. The recent Guardian Essential poll suggests that voters realise that Labor is the better economic manager too. We have managed to deliver much needed energy price relief at a time when it is most crucial. Back in December, we were willing to place the cap on gas prices, which the coalition opposed. That action taken then has ameliorated the prices paid by consumers and businesses now, and the RBA noted that it had an anti-inflationary effect.

Where would prices be now if those opposite were in power? Where would inflation be? Higher. That's where. This realisation has obviously permeated through to the community too, because voters know that as tough as things are right now they would be much worse under a Dutton government.

In the May budget, Labor went further, delivering the Energy Price Relief Plan with $1.5 billion over two years to eligible households and businesses, which, along with the efforts by mostly Labor states, will go a long way to providing much needed relief to those who most need it and, again, in an anti-inflationary manner. This is the short-term. But the government also has plans for the long-term.

Hasluck, like the whole of the south-west of Australia, is experiencing a drying climate due to climate change. The Albanese government has taken up the challenge, so long disbelieved and otherwise avoided by the conservative parties, and has embarked on ambitious and meaningful reform. We've enshrined emissions targets in law and passed the safeguard mechanism changes. We have invested in renewables and are building a regulatory framework to support our transition to a green energy economy. The budget provides for $2 billion in hydrogen investment to decarbonise our heavy industries.

Just last week, I visited Green Homes Australia's nine-plus star-rated display home in Brabham with Minister McAllister, because taking real, effective climate change action requires us to make changes at every level. As well, in Hasluck, Stratton will soon have a community battery, allowing residents to better utilise their renewable energy. And, in Midland, Labor is delivering to ensure we have the skills needed for the green energy transition. Fee-free TAFE is enhancing enrolments both at Midland and in VET in schools. With over 13,000 enrolments in fee-free courses across the state in semester 1 and $3.24 million for the development of a renewable training hub at Midland TAFE, which I visited with Minister O'Connor in February, there has, quite seriously, never been a better time to get into training.

We've long been a leader in the adoption of renewables at a community level, and now we have a government that is willing to lead. Renewables are the cheapest form of energy and will insulate us from global shocks, like the ones we're currently experiencing.