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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for confirming that the government does not have any research or figures or modelling to underpin the claims about carbon capture and storage in the Hunter Valley. I ask the minister, and this probably goes to explaining why he does not understand the potential of solar thermal on baseload: why did the government suppress a research report from the CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development that said solar thermal could compete with coal-fired power on baseload by 2013? Why does the government continue to this day to suppress a report that demonstrates that the government’s much hoped for breakthrough with aqua-ammonia solvents in post carbon capture has been a complete failure? Will the government now produce a comprehensive list of research tasks and reports from that CRC so that the public can see what else the government is trying to hide about the promise of renewable energy and the problems with carbon capture and storage? Will you now release that list and the rest of the modelling?