Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I am sharing some of that hope that I am feeling coming across from the other side. One of the things that occurred when Dr Finkel was asked by COAG—by the governments of all states and territories and the federal government—to go away and look at the incredibly important issues of energy security, energy efficiency and energy pricing into the future, there was hope at that time. Even though there was lots of concern and worry late last year, we used the Chief Scientist. That is a valuable way of using a resource—the actual Chief Scientist was asked to do an independent review of exactly what was going to be a process for the future so that we could work together. That seemed to be extraordinarily optimistic and a very positive frame on which to work into the future.

Since October last year there have been a number of interim reports which people have taken notice of. And only last week the final report came down. One of the really hopeful things about that report is that there has been a wide reaction from across the community—not single groups, but across business, unions, ACOSS, parliamentarians. They have been saying, 'Let's us read this report thoroughly'—and it is not a short report—'Let's read the report and consider the work that has been done.' Dr Finkel and his team undertook a large amount of research and conducted a number of community consultations and specialist visits. And the evidence they gathered looks at the projections into the future. By and large, it has been a very hopeful and optimistic response, except from key members of the government—the very government which was part of the request for Dr Finkel to go out and do this review. I hope they have read it, but the indications from people speaking so quickly to raise their concerns mean that they have had a very quick look at the report or have had people researching it for them. My personal favourite was the Magic Pudding comment; I am very fond of that book and I was pleased by the reference.

I have not read the whole report but I have read most of it. Any document that starts by saying it is going to have a pillar-based approach gives me concerns—I am over pillars, Madam Deputy President. Every report we get seems to have a pillar approach to a process. Nonetheless, I have looked at where it is going and it is throwing up considerations for everybody—not just for parliaments. The issues are the very issues that are concerning members of the community. I doubt whether everybody out in my electorate who is concerned about electricity prices and ongoing job opportunities or their futures and their wages will sit down and read the whole Finkel report. I do hope that they will be given the opportunity now through interactions with parliament at the community level to really see how this could operate and what governments are going to do to ensure that there is an optimistic future. Realistically, in this place for the last 10 years there has not been that. There has been conflict at every level on these issues. Amidst that, I think there has been a loss of trust and a loss of optimism from the community.

The Finkel report has now been received. I think the least we can do is as a parliament look at this in a considered way and give some hope back to the community that no matter where we sit in this place we are prepared to give a full consideration of what the Finkel review has put forward. Obviously, there are core things where there are differences. In fact, we have heard them focused on in some of the contributions so far. But what I have heard from Mr Shorten and Mr Butler, who actually lead this debate for us in this process, is that they are committed to giving this real consideration. They have expressed some concerns about things that they might have thought could have been done differently, but they have committed to stay within the process. If we can achieve that and if we can have that same commitment from around the parliament, that could indeed build on the hope we have heard from previous senators, build on a positive outlook and give some confidence to the community who are worried about their future, worried about their security and certainly worried about energy prices. Give them some true hope and some true consideration that their parliament is taking action and is prepared not to rush into a response but to sit down together to respond to the needs they have identified. (Time expired)