Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. The Prime Minister said to the world in Paris that Australia would double investment in clean energy innovation over the next five years. However, this morning we learned that the CSIRO will be sacking up to 350 staff, including 110 climate scientists. The government may well hire 350 act developers or clean coal workers in the next two years, but the fact remains they will still be disbanding 350 actual scientists, including climate scientists. How is it innovative to cut 350 science jobs from CSIRO after you already cut 1,400 of them following the previous budget? How was it innovative to abolish the carbon price, to slash the renewable energy target and to plan to abolish the Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation?