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

This is a serious issue. We do take it seriously. I have just been asked a question which is asking me to estimate the meterage in 50,000 homes. Unsurprisingly, we do not have that estimate. What we have is a commitment from the minister and the government that, in all of those homes, the government will fund the removal of the foil insulation or the installation of safety switches. We are doing so because safety is of the highest priority, because we have received advice and because we are working assiduously to rectify the issues associated with this program.

I appreciate that the opposition wants to make a range of points about this issue. Minister Combet has given an extensive statement to the House, outlining quite clearly the problems associated with the home insulation scheme and outlining the measures the government has taken and will take to remedy those. This is a very substantial program and, therefore, these sorts of rectification measures will take some time to roll out, but the government remains committed to doing so. The commitment in relation to foil is clear: the installation of safety switches or the removal of foil, and the government will fund same.