Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition clearly supports renewable energy and we clearly support the renewable energy target, but we believe that the renewable energy target needs to be reformed in order to not push up the cost of electricity by more than what is appropriate, not to push up the cost of electricity in a way that makes us less competitive internationally, that will cost jobs. So what I would say to Senator Lazarus and to any senator in this chamber is that our door is open. We are committed to keep talking to the Labor Party, to the Palmer United Party, to the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party, to Senator Lambie, to the Family First Party, to the Liberal Democrats—we are even prepared to talk with the Greens, even though the Greens are not a very environmentally focused party these days. We are prepared to talk to anyone who is actually prepared to work with this on finding common ground. But the guiding principle has to be: to achieve an environmentally beneficial outcome in a way that is economically responsible. (Time expired)