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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank Senator Carr for that answer. He finally got to the point that whatever we could do to upgrade our homes would be a good idea. In that context of energy efficiency I was asking firstly, whether he agreed that cash payments and low-interest loans would not remove the barriers to the uptake of energy efficiency; and, secondly, whether they will address the impacts of the carbon price on low-income households.

Firstly, given that I think there is an acceptance everywhere that they will not, does the minister agree that financing the up-front cost of energy efficiency would be a highly desirable use of funds from the auctioning of permits under an emissions trading scheme? Secondly, will the government now consider implementing the Greens easy policy to retrofit all of Australia’s houses with solar hot water and insulation? That is a cost-neutral policy.