Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

This is just another case of the Australian Greens preaching to their base, their voters, and making claims that are completely unfounded if you look at the facts. What this government has managed to do and achieve is to ensure that Australia will not only meet but also exceed 2020 emissions reduction targets. We will ensure that, as a country, we honour and deliver on our commitments. Every step we've taken to date as a government has actually met those commitments and exceeded them. Australia exceeded its initial commitments in relation to emissions targets. We will exceed our 2020 commitments, and we will do so without the need for additional taxes or costs on Australian businesses, households or families. We will do so by focusing on the most efficient ways to ensure we deliver energy security and energy affordability while also meeting those emissions reduction targets.

As is well known in the chamber now, we are working through the process in the energy sector, for example, of delivering our National Energy Guarantee, which will set in place a framework to not only meet those emissions reduction targets in that sector and guarantee reliability but also, importantly, help Australian households and families drive down the cost of their electricity and contribute to a reduction estimated in the order of around $400 for those Australian households in their future electricity costs. This is about focusing as a government not on the types of policies the Greens want—which pretend that Australia, in isolation, could somehow be the change-maker in relation to global emissions—but instead on Australia working to meet our targets. These targets are world leading on a per capita basis and are world leading on a GDP basis. They are significant targets, and they're targets we've proven time and time again we can and will meet. (Time expired)