Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to add my voice to those welcoming the election of Joe Biden as President-elect of the United States. I'd also like to congratulate Vice-President Kamala Harris. I note the significance of her being the first woman and first woman of colour to be elected to such a position in the United States of America and the absolutely inspiring example she will set for all Americans. It was incredible, in recent days, to see a record turnout of voters exercising their democratic rights in the US and to witness the highest-ever vote tally for a presidential ticket in history. There was and is so much at stake for the US, for our region and for the whole global community.

President-elect Biden, as we know, campaigned heavily on the promise, the commitment, of action on climate change, reducing carbon emissions and supporting the growth in renewables. The President-elect's Build Back Better plan to recover from the COVID recession is all about creating jobs from sustainable infrastructure and clean energy. So it's really clear now, today, what direction the US is heading under the new leadership. What is less clear is the direction of the Morrison government. In fact, this result in the US is just another sign that the Morrison government is becoming increasingly isolated internationally when it comes to action on climate change. The rest of the world is moving, and it is moving forward while Prime Minister Scott Morrison is dragging his feet. There is real global consensus on climate change, and it won't just be the US under a Biden administration that will take climate action and emission reduction seriously; it will be the UK, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand—so many of our major allies and partners around the world. Here, at home, the consensus is overwhelming as well: the Business Council, the Australian Industry Group, the Property Council, our largest airline, our biggest mining company, our biggest bank, our biggest telecommunications provider. There is a long list of leading businesses, organisations and not-for-profits who have made the commitment to taking action, a long list of organisations in this country that have committed to reach net zero emissions by 2050. It feels like the only people who are missing in action are those in the Morrison government. The Prime Minister is isolated on this issue.

Labor, on the other hand, are confident and positive about our future. We know that we can reach that better future together. Really, everyone else agrees, so we need the Morrison government to make a plan now. But, in the past eight years, this Liberal-National government has had 22 energy policies. What has that led to? Overall, it's actually led to higher emissions and to higher electricity prices. This is not even the worst of their inaction. According to an independent report from Deloitte Access Economics, the Prime Minister's refusal to take action could crush the trade, tourism, mining and service industries. Their report suggests that the government's inaction and refusal to adopt net zero emissions by 2050 will devastate the economy. That inaction could cost up to 880,000 jobs and slash $3.4 trillion from GDP by 2070. There is so much at stake here. If the government took action and delivered net zero emissions by 2050, that report predicts it would actually create 250,000 jobs.

Here in Australia we are in our deepest recession in almost a hundred years. Hundreds of thousands of Australians have lost their jobs, and they are screaming out for a jobs plan from this government. Action on climate change will actually deliver jobs if the Morrison government embraces it. It will deliver lower power bills, it will grow the economy and it will deliver higher wages. So now is the time for this government to take that action. Scott Morrison can no longer run his anti-climate-change agenda, saying he will only meet net zero emissions in the second half of the century and, as we heard from Senator Bragg, only after they come up with a plan—acknowledging that there isn't one, as we stand here today. Australians need real climate action or we will all be left paying the price.

On the Labor team we have a clear target to tackle climate change: net zero carbon pollution by 2050. The world is decarbonising and we don't just need to make sure that Australia doesn't get left behind; we need to make sure that we actually take full advantage of the opportunities that present to a country like ours, because we have so much going for us. With the right plan and the right vision, we can be a clean energy super power with a new generation of jobs and cheaper power bills. We all know we have some of the best wind and wave resources in the world. We have the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent. And we have some of the best engineers and scientists in the world to take advantage of this. So working towards a low-carbon future means opportunities for our manufacturing sectors, opportunities for energy exports and opportunities for rare earth minerals mining.

And, of course, what it means is opportunities for good and secure jobs. Take, for example, Labor's plan to rewire the nation. The current energy network takes no account of the rise of renewables. It's not fit for purpose. It was designed for another time. That's why a Labor government would take action to rebuild and modernise the national energy grid. Rebuilding the grid will create thousands of jobs, particularly in regional Australia, and deliver up to $40 billion in benefits. It will only ever be Labor that will get this done. We know it makes sense. As the Morrison government becomes increasingly isolated on climate action, even the New South Wales Liberal government has announced its own plans to support more renewables. They've just announced plans to support new renewable energy generation supported by new storage, like batteries and pumped hydro, and they've confirmed again that renewable energy means lower power bills. So, if the New South Wales Liberals get it, why doesn't the Prime Minister?

I am particularly proud of the progress that's being made in my home state of Victoria. Just this week, the state government announced that the Southern Hemisphere's biggest battery is to be built just outside of Geelong. This is a project that will create good jobs. It will drive down electricity prices. It will boost reliability, and it will help support Victoria's transition to renewable energy. It will be good for the economy. It will be good for the environment. It will be good for the planet. Indeed, independent analysis has shown that for every $1 invested in this huge 300 megawatt battery it will deliver more than $2 in benefits to Victorian households and businesses.

In addition to the big projects like the 300 megawatt battery, the Victorian government is also helping local businesses and communities access clean energy. Just recently, they delivered grants across the state to fund projects such as community solar farms, community batteries and solar electricity systems for sports clubs. Those projects don't just help Victorians move towards the state's own 2050 net zero emissions target; they also create local jobs. That's what Labor governments can do: create jobs while supporting our environment and our planet's future—jobs in local manufacturing in regional areas like Geelong, where the old Ford factory has been transformed into a renewable energy hub; jobs in steel by setting local content requirements for all of those projects; jobs in solar installation by supporting households to install panels, hot water and batteries. This is creating jobs, driving energy prices down and driving our emissions down. And, of course, it's not just Victoria. Indeed, every state and territory is taking action to invest in renewables and drive down carbon emissions, so we call on the Morrison government and the whole parliament to unite behind 2050 net zero emissions and to unite around our future as a renewable energy powerhouse.