James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Our No. 1 energy policy priority is maintaining energy security and affordability as we transition to a lower emissions future. That is why, under the coalition, the COAG Energy Council has commissioned Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, to develop a national reform blueprint to maintain energy security and reliability in the National Electricity Market. The substantive energy matters to be examined in the proposed reference are being exhaustively considered through the work of Dr Finkel and in three Senate and House inquiries currently underway into Australia's energy market.

With respect to climate change, the Australian government accepts the science of climate change and takes its primary advice on climate science from the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO. Under the Paris Agreement, Australia is committed to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.