Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

We have canvassed this already. I have indicated to the chamber repeatedly the public interest reasons for the government bringing forward this legislation. The government is engaged in a series of measures to reform our climate change policy and make sure that we are transforming our economy, obtaining all of the benefits that arise from a decarbonising global economy and contributing to the global decision-making about the transition to net zero, which is entirely necessary, given the information that the scientists are providing.

As part of that, the government is working across all industry sectors to define the pathways to net zero by 2050. Notwithstanding the assertions that are sometimes made in this place that this is simple and ought to be able to occur immediately, it's called a 'transition' for a reason. There's no world in which we reduce our emissions immediately from where we are now to net zero, but we do know that that's our destination. We know that that's where we need to land, and significant effort and work has gone into taking steps to get on that pathway, since we came to government, and also to assist us in defining that pathway for the decades to come.

It's clear that fossil fuels will be part of the energy system for some time. There's no world where we can get to that net zero position in a short period of time. I think you know, Senator Pocock, that the government has ambitious plans to move to a much higher penetration of renewables in our electricity grid by 2030. That's actually a very challenging target. The minister describes it as 'ambitious but achievable'. We're really putting our shoulder to the wheel on that question, despite the objections and the campaigning against such a strategy from some of the political parties represented in the Senate.

You assert that we're not acting in the public interest and that we're in some way acting in some narrow private interests. I reject that entirely. I reject it absolutely, and I say to you that, for decades now, the Labor Party's public commitment to climate action has been a feature of our policies. From government or opposition, we have been very clear that we accept the science and the requirements for transition, and we are determined to create a pathway that lets us obtain the economic benefits that will come about from that transition to make sure that those benefits are shared with the regional communities that need to share in them and that deserve a strong future as well. It's why we've established the Net Zero Authority, led, at the moment, by Mr Combet. It's also why there are significant investments in the government budget papers that go to these questions of obtaining economic advantage through the transition, as well as meeting our environmental obligations.

I am not sure there is much I can add to this. Senator Pocock, you have made it clear that you do not agree with aspects of our policy-making, but I can stand here in the Senate and say very clearly that the government is serious about the transition. We are determined to do it in a way that is fair and that ensures prosperity for the full range of Australian communities that have a stake in this. I respect your right to disagree but I'm not sure I can add very much—