Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, Senator Minchin. Is the minister aware of the remarks by the director of the International Energy Agency, Claude Mandil, in which he conceded that oil prices may top $US100 a barrel as a result of global demand and geopolitical factors? Is he also aware that Sweden has a plan to be oil free by 2020 and that even US President George Bush has called for US citizens to wean themselves off oil? If so, does the government believe that oil prices will continue to increase over the longer term, reflecting increased demand and constrained supply, or does the government believe they will fall? Can he explain why the government persists in investing primarily in roads rather than rail and continues to reject the introduction of a national energy efficiency target?