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

I think it is useful for the Senate to know just what occurred under the Howard government when it comes to renewables, because the fact is that investment in renewable energy went backwards when those opposite were in government. What happened was that between 1997 and 2007 the proportion of our electricity supply from renewables declined from 10½ per cent to 9.5 per cent. So, whenever those opposite come forward professing support for the renewables sector, they should be reminded of the stark facts which are presented and the stark reality of their own record in government, which is that they presided over a decline in renewable energy. They also went to the last election with a 15 per cent clean energy target, which included nuclear power and clean coal—so not only a smaller target but a target where solar, wind and wave would have to compete with nuclear energy and clean coal. That is their record on renewables. (Time expired)