Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too would like to take note of the report. I note also that government senators have tabled a minority report. The government welcome scrutiny of the Green Loans Program, and we note that there have already been a number of reviews and audits into the program, including the Faulkner review, a performance audit by the Auditor-General and a probity review of procurement practices.

The government has, on numerous occasions, readily acknowledged that there were problems with aspects of the Green Loans Program, and both Minister Garrett and Minister Wong dealt with those issues as they were raised with them. Government ministers have not only commissioned and supported reviews of the Green Loans Program; they have acted promptly on the recommendations in the reviews and audits to which I have previously referred. For example, the departments concerned have addressed issues such as governance arrangements, procurement and contract processes, staff lines of responsibility and improvements to business and stakeholder interface systems.

The government has announced that over the coming months it will transition to the Green Start program, and the findings of the various inquiries into the Green Loans Program will inform the Green Start program. In a way, the Green Loans Program was a victim of its own popularity. The overwhelming support from householders to have a household audit undertaken is something the government wishes to build on in the future. There is no doubt that many, many Australians want to know what they can do in their own homes to save energy, to reduce greenhouse emissions and to be part of the battle against harmful climate change. Witnesses who appeared in the Green Loans inquiry, including assessors, field force, the banking industry and others, all noted how popular the concept was of having a household assessment done with a view to taking action on climate change. The unprecedented demand for household assessments was a key reason why the department found itself in difficulties delivering the program.

The government senators’ minority report addresses the recommendations made by coalition senators in their report and, in some cases, has made some amendments to proposed recommendations. These include urging the government to continue to respond in full to the findings of completed inquiries and to take into account the findings of all those inquiries, reviews and audits when framing the Green Start program. We do not believe there needs to be yet another investigation, as recommended by the coalition, nor do we believe that all the government’s environmental programs need further evaluations. These are just delaying tactics proposed by the opposition, which, as we know, is populated and controlled by climate change deniers and led by someone who thinks climate change is crap. The Australian public, unlike the opposition, demonstrated its commitment to energy efficiency and the war on climate change with a massive level of support for household assessments. The government is committed to assisting those members of the public to do what they can in the battle against harmful climate change.

I would like to conclude by thanking all participants in the inquiry, particularly the witnesses who made themselves available to senators, and by thanking the secretariat for their assistance.

Question agreed to.