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

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Attorney-General (Senator Brandis) to a question without notice asked by the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Di Natale) today relating to the 2016-17 Budget and climate change.

Senator Di Natale asked where did climate change go in the budget? Why was it not mentioned at all in the Treasurer's speech last night? Given all of the hype about the new economy and excitement and innovation, where was the plan to transition us from fossil fuels onto clean energy, which we know the rest of the world is already embracing? We know that that way lies the path to job creation, prosperity and safeguarding ourselves from the worst ravages of climate change.

The budget speech did not mention the Great Barrier Reef either. In fact, it did not mention the environment at all. There was no mention of the 69,000 people whose jobs rely on the reef remaining healthy. The reef is currently faced with the worst coral bleaching that it has ever seen in its entire living history. There was no mention of the tens of thousands of jobs that could be created in clean energy. Absolutely no mention of the sunrise industries of this century that will position Australia for prosperity. Again, just propping up last century's dirty industries—and propping them up indeed, because the budget adds an extra $100 million in fossil fuel subsidies. Because $21 billion over the forward estimates is not enough for the fossil fuel sector! There is $21 billion in cheap fuel, in accelerated depreciation and in asset write-off rules that are more favourable than other industries. No, $21 billion is not enough free money for the coal and gas sector; they need another $100 million of public money to conduct surveys to promote exploration.

This is the Treasurer's and the government's prescription for this century: propping up the dirty fossil fuel sector and resisting that transition to clean energy. And resisting it is, because there was also a $1.3 billion cut to clean energy finance kept in last night's budget. That is a $1.3 billion cut to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, which is funding the very innovation that the Prime Minister likes to occasionally reference. Again, where is the job creation when you are cutting $1.3 billion from clean energy, not to mention cutting scientists from the CSIRO because their budget has been slashed—another thing that was not restored in last night's budget?

We have a budget that gives handouts to millionaires; it gives tax cuts to above average Australians who will not notice the six bucks in the back of their pocket each week, but which could have been $4 billion to hospitals, schools and clean energy; and is a budget that once again tops up that free public money, those subsidies, to fossil fuels. What an absolutely wasted opportunity to actually rejig our economy for the challenges that we will face this century, and to catch up with the rest of the world in that transition to clean energy. It is an indictment that there is talk about jobs and growth, but no recognition that the real jobs and the real sustainable growth is in the clean energy sector. We could rejig our economy and retool our jobs and the way we run this nation for a low pollution, high prosperity outcome. Instead, as I said, more money, more free handouts for fossil fuels.

No money to tackle coral bleaching on the reef. A small top up of water quality funding for the reef, but, guess what, it is taken off Landcare—because apparently people in the bush do not need the help and that habitat does not need to be restored, and maybe trees do not store carbon anymore! Newsflash, Prime Minister Turnbull: without a healthy environment, we will not have a healthy economy. Last night's budget was an opportunity to deliver on the rhetoric of jobs and growth and innovation, and it was an all-round failure. It was a cut to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's funding; it was a cut to the Renewable Energy Agency's funding; and it was a hand out to the fossil fuel sector, with another $100 million of free money to explore for more polluting energy sources on top of the $21 billion of free money that that sector already gets. What a budget that is absolutely written for the well off, for big business and for big polluters.

Question agreed to.