Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The government rejects this motion from the Greens. Our government has extended three existing operations. These are not new projects. Our government will continue to consider each project on a case-by-case basis and against the safeguard mechanism. This is the emissions reduction policy that the Greens political party voted for, the policy about which Senator Hanson-Young said, 'Because of this policy, emissions will go down, not up.' Minister Plibersek was the first Australian minister in history to block a coalmine. She blocked Clive Palmer's big Queensland coalmine that could have leaked pollution into the Great Barrier Reef. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, is responsible for the safeguard mechanism.

I understand, when some in this place focus on individual projects, they miss the big picture, and the big picture here is a massive shift in our sources of energy and our economy. The sad truth is that, when the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens political party teamed up to delay climate action, it put renewables way behind. I understand why the Greens political party are sensitive. The Greens might regret teaming up with the Liberals to kill off Labor's carbon pollution reduction scheme. The Greens might regret that teaming up with the Liberals led to $80 million extra tonnes of carbon pollution. The Greens might regret teaming up with the Liberals to put renewables years behind. And, if the Greens want action on renewables, they should point out that nuclear is a diversion, a guarantee of more coal for longer.

The good news is we, over on this side, the Labor government, are working overtime to catch Australia up. Under Labor, we will see 40 per cent of our power come from renewable sources this year. The environment minister is ticking off renewable energy projects at record rates. Our government has green lit 63 renewable projects in just over two years, enough to power over seven million Australian homes. We also have record numbers of renewable energy projects in the approval pipeline. To deliver cheaper power bills and cleaner energy for Australians the best thing everyone in this place can do is back Labor's renewable energy boom.