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

This government's climate policies are an absolute mess. They are an international embarrassment. They are irresponsible and, as a result, all of us are missing out on the opportunity to create good clean-energy jobs—jobs that Australians desperately need right now. Australia is being left behind. The rest of the world is moving forward while Prime Minister Scott Morrison drags his feet.

There is real global consensus on climate change. I'm not just talking about the Biden administration in the US, which will take climate change action and emissions reductions seriously. It's the US and it's also Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand—all of our major allies and all of our major partners around the world. Right here at home it's the Business Council, the Australian Industry Group and the Property Council. It's our largest airline. It's our biggest mining company. It's our biggest bank and our biggest telecommunications provider. It's a long list of leading businesses, organisations and not-for-profits who have made commitments to taking action on climate. Today the only people missing are the Morrison government. Scott Morrison is absolutely isolated on this issue.

In Labor, on the other hand, we are confident and positive about our future. We know that we can reach a better future together and, really, everyone else agrees. So we need the Morrison government to make a plan for climate action now.

In just the past eight years, this Liberal-National government has had 22 energy policies. And what has this led to? It's led to absolute chaos. It's led to higher electricity prices and higher emissions. This isn't 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 trade. It could crush tourism, mining and service industries. That report suggests that the government's inaction and refusal to adopt zero emissions by 2050 will devastate our economy. That inaction could cost up to 880,000 jobs and could slash $3.4 trillion from GDP by 2070. But, if the government actually took action and delivered net zero emissions by 2050, the report predicts it would create 250,000 jobs.

We have just experienced our deepest recession in almost 100 years. We know that over two million Australians are still out of work or can't get enough hours. They are screaming out for a jobs plan from this government, and action on climate change delivers jobs. It delivers lower power bills. It grows the economy. It delivers higher wages. And so right now is the time to take that action.

Scott Morrison can no longer pretend that he is taking action on climate change, and Australians need real climate action or we will all be left paying the price. We have to hit net zero carbon pollution by 2050. The world is decarbonising, and we need to make sure that Australia doesn't get left behind. We need to make sure that we take full advantage of the opportunities that this presents to a country like ours. With the right plan and with the right vision, Australia can be a clean-energy superpower with a new generation of jobs and cheaper power bills. 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. We have some of the best engineers and scientists in the world to take advantage of this.

Working towards a low-carbon future means opportunities for our manufacturing sectors. It means opportunities for energy exports. It means opportunities for rare earth minerals mining. It means opportunities for good, secure clean-energy jobs. Take, for example, our plan to rewire the nation. The current energy network takes no account of the rise of renewables. It was designed for another time. This is why a Labor government would take action to rebuild and modernise the national energy grid. Rebuilding the grid will itself create thousands of jobs, particularly in regional Australia. It will deliver up to $40 billion in benefits. This just makes sense.

Labor governments get things done. For example, last year the Victorian government announced that the Southern Hemisphere's biggest battery is to be built just outside of Geelong. This project will create good jobs. It will drive down electricity prices, it will boost reliability, it will help support Victoria's transition to renewable energy and it will be good for the economy as well. Independent analysis shows that every dollar invested in this 300 megawatt battery will deliver more than $2 in benefits to Victorian households and businesses.

In addition to the big projects, the Victorian government is also helping local businesses and communities access clean energy. Recently they delivered grants across the state to fund projects like community solar farms and batteries and solar electricity systems for sports clubs. Victoria is on track to hit its renewable energy targets and it's embracing new technologies and investing in renewables. It's not just Victoria. Every state and territory is on board, so the Morrison government needs to take action now.