Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

There were lots of questions there and I will have a look at the Hansard and see what information I can supply to Senator Milne, particularly with respect to the CRC. For the record, I remind Senator Milne that a company, Solar Heat and Power—as she is pursuing the issue of solar thermal technology—was successful in gaining a Renewable Energy Development Initiative grant of $3,254,028 in December 2005. To date, the government has paid 64 per cent of that grant. The company stated will retain the intellectual property developed so far and continue with Australian management. We are supporting that, but it is not at the proven stage. We are supporting alternative sources of energy, but the clear facts which for ideological reasons the Greens are incapable of recognising are that, for Australia to retain high living standards and jobs, the two main sources of zero emission technology available to produce baseload power are clean coal and nuclear, and it is about time they woke up.