Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about climate change and the renewable energy space in Australia. Labor is the only party of government that is committed to real action on climate change. We on this side know that strong climate action is needed to protect the prosperity of future generations of Australians and to meet our international obligations under the Paris climate change accords but also to deliver prosperity today by modernising our economy and adapting to inevitable climate impacts. It is the very core of this issue. The issue of climate change is about jobs, supporting regional jobs and manufacturing.

Labor's approach to climate change policy will continue to be guided by the best science available and to be underpinned by Labor's values of equality and fairness. Our approach is to focus on the development of policies that would not only cut pollution but ensure we maximise the job and economic opportunities of a modern economy. In contrast, the Liberal and National parties have paid nothing more than lip service to real action on climate change. Their approach to climate change is best demonstrated not by their rhetoric but by their actions, including a commitment to more job-destroying pollution.

The world energy authority says Australian's hydrogen imports into Japan could be cheaper than domestic production by 2030. This means Australia has a golden opportunity to sell its product to its Asian neighbours. Hydrogen can be produced with no greenhouse gas emissions if the process is powered by renewable energy or fossil fuels when the resulting carbon is captured and stored. My home state of Tasmania is a renewable energy powerhouse. As Bill Shorten said in 2019—