Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I note yet again Senator Ian Macdonald’s support for an Australian Greens question. It is an interesting alliance that seems to be forming across the chamber, but anyway that is an issue that both of those parties can deal with.

Senator Milne, through you, Mr President, this issue has been canvassed at some length in estimates hearings and I think I gave some answers in that context. The Senate would be aware that the government has changed its approach to eligibility for the Solar Homes and Communities Plan, but we are delivering a total commitment of $150 million, which remains unchanged. In fact, I remind the chamber that the government has in fact brought forward $25.6 million in this budget for this plan to achieve in three years what the previous government set out to achieve in five.

Senator, through you, Mr President, I do not have the specific information that you are seeking. What I can say to her, Mr President, is that I understand that Minister Garrett has indicated that demand for this program will be monitored. I will, again, make points about this issue. Notwithstanding the concern that some have raised about this means testing, I make the point that the government, in the context of a fiscally responsible budget, did have to make some decisions about where to prioritise its expenditure and the focus, in terms of this program, is on those families who can least afford this investment. So obviously the commitment is to focus the expenditure on those families who are least able to afford it.

I again remind the Senate, in terms of support for renewable energy, that this government was elected with a set of commitments that no previous government was prepared to make in terms of support for renewable energy—something you on the other side never did—with a 20 per cent renewable energy target—you never did it—