Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Why is it important that we continue the rollout of renewable energy backed up by batteries? What obstacles stand in the way, and what policies has the government rejected?

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

It's important we keep going with the plan to rollout renewables backed by batteries because that's what the experts tell us is the least costly way to transition out our energy system: renewables backed by batteries, backed by gas peaking, backed by storage and transmission. That's what the experts say. Those opposite have a different view. I'm pleased to tell the member for Corangamite and the House that in the first seven months of this year 2.8 gigawatts worth of big batteries have begun construction. That's as big as our largest coal-fired power station, backing up renewable energy and backing up with storage.

Yesterday, the energy company AGL announced investments in batteries of up to eight gigawatts. That's eight gigawatts of investment in batteries by AGL. AGL also said yesterday, in response to questions: 'Nuclear is not part of our plans, nor our strategy … we cannot sit around and wait for nuclear … The rationale for that is both cost and time to get there.' That's important because AGL owns the Liddell site, where those opposite want to put a nuclear power station. The landlord says no. Their policy has failed at the first hurdle.

All we've seen from the opposition is the announcement of seven sites. We've seen no further detail. But, as the House knows, I always want to be fair to those opposite, and a couple of weeks ago we did start to see details. The member for Fairfax, the shadow minister, had a big speech coming up. He told the Australian and the headline was, 'Ted O'Brien sets out long-term plan for uranium-enrichment industry'. There were lots of quotes in the article about what he would say at his speech in Adelaide later the next day.

I've read the speech and watched it. Someone had to. Not many people do, but I do. I'm sorry to tell the House, none of the quotes that the member for Fairfax told the Australian appeared in the actual speech, which I table for the House. It was an announcement with a very short half-life.

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

The minister will pause. 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 rules on props are very well-known. The minister is cynically flouting the rules, and he should be brought back to compliance with the standing orders.

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

The Leader of the House?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the point of order, when a minister is tabling the document you have to hold the document up to be able to table it.

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

Yes, but the minister was also waving it around beforehand. To assist the House, you don't need to wave it around. You need to simply table it, which does not mean the waving of a document. I thank the manager.

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

I also tabled the speech by the honourable member, which contained none of the quotes. It was such a long-term plan it didn't even make the speech. I'm not sure what happened. It's possible the member for Fairfax told the Australian before he told the Leader of the Opposition, and the Leader of the Opposition didn't approve the announcement of a uranium enrichment industry for Australia. Maybe the Leader of the Opposition pulled the rug out from under the member of Fairfax. We wouldn't know.

We do know that those opposite couldn't organise a barbecue at Bunnings. They say they're going to rollout reactors; they can't even rollout candidates for local government. They say they're going to have nuclear reactors by a deadline of 2035; they couldn't even meet a deadline of 12 o'clock on Tuesday. This is the alternative government of Australia, who say they have an energy plan for Australia, and what they have is a complete mess which doesn't survive contact with reality. That's why the Leader of the Opposition is so risky for our country.