House debates Questions without Notice
Renewable Energy
Ted O'Brien Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy
3:14 pm
My question goes to the Prime Minister. When does the government expect green hydrogen to be commercially viable?
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
One of the things about green hydrogen is that the world is looking to the opportunity that will come from the creation of green hydrogen, and the great advantage that we have—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
compared to countries like Japan and Korea, is space. We can create, through having large-scale solar and wind projects that can create—
Peter Dutton Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
Could someone give an answer?
Milton Dick Speaker
Order! The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.
Opposition members interjecting—
Order! Members on my left. The Leader of the Opposition—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
The horse is off and running, Mr Speaker.
Milton Dick Speaker
The Prime Minister will just pause. There is far too much noise. This continual noise is too much. A general warning is now issued. That means if anyone interjects, they will just leave immediately. The Prime Minister will be heard in silence, just as the question was given the respect of being heard in silence.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
The world is looking towards green hydrogen as making a major contribution to the shift towards net zero by 2050 whether it be in Asia or in Germany with the agreements that we've signed in cooperation and research or whether it be in investments, where investors are queueing up to invest here in Australia—to invest their own money not taxpayers' money. One of the things that we're talking about—
Milton Dick Speaker
Order! Members on my left. The member for O'Connor is now warned.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
One of the things that we are talking about with green hydrogen, as opposed to their nuclear reactor plan, is private sector investment. One of the things that we've done with our support that was announced in the budget for green hydrogen and critical minerals is, because of the way that it's designed, it's designed to reward success. It's only when it succeeds that there is taxpayer incentive for private sector investment. That draws a big contrast—
Ted O'Brien Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy
I purposely wrote this very tightly—it's on relevance. When does the government expect green hydrogen to be commercially viable?
Milton Dick Speaker
Resume your seat. Just as we've had through the course of question time, you would like a date and an exact time in an answer, but—
An honourable member interjecting—
Well, deja vu. Under the standing orders, there's no compulsion from me or ability to get the minister or the Prime Minister to answer exactly. He is talking about the topic; he is being directly relevant about—
Order! The Leader of the Opposition!
Ted O'Brien Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Can you give us a range, mate?
Milton Dick Speaker
No. The member for Fairfax will leave the chamber under 94(a).
The member for Fairfax then left the chamber.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister
One of the great distinctions now—I didn't think when I first came to this place that I would say this—this side of the House, the Labor Party, believes in working with the business community and believes in private sector investment. That side of the House has adopted Soviet tactics. They want a command economy. It's going to be all funded; the losses will all be there; the taxpayer subsidies will all be there with centralised planning, which is why they hide the costs—because it simply doesn't stack up. There isn't a single investor, a single bank, a single financial institution. Not even their mates are queueing up to say, 'I've got some money for nuclear reactors,' and that's because it doesn't stack up, which is why they are hiding the costs.
Honourable members interjecting—
Milton Dick Speaker
Order.
The Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme is now warned.