Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. I refer to the government's plans to cut $1.3 billion from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and to stop it from making clean energy grants. It has been estimated that this would kill 120 more jobs at the CSIRO and would jeopardise the creation of some 5,100 jobs in regional Australia where they are desperately needed. Renewable energy is clearly one of the fastest growing global industries and Australia could be leading the way in clean energy job creation and in tackling climate change. How is gutting ARENA consistent with creating jobs and growth?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Really, I thought I had heard everything. To hear you, of all people, crying crocodile tears about jobs in regional Australia when you have, over the last two years, led a campaign in this chamber to close down—or prevent the development, I should say—of the Adani coalmine in central Queensland, the greatest and largest prospective source of employment in central Queensland, a region—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Waters, on a point of order?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, a point of order firstly on relevance given that the minister is not answering the question and secondly on misleading the chamber given that a Adani will not create anywhere near that amount of jobs and the attorney knows that full well.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Waters; you are debating the question. There is no point of order in the sense that Senator Brandis is only just into answering the question.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, you raised the issue. I am just pointing out to you that you have led a campaign to prevent the greatest economic opportunity presenting itself to the people in central Queensland, a region, which, if you ever cared to visit it, Senator Waters, you would find is in bad economic shape at the moment. And people in Rockhampton, people in Mackay, people in Gladstone and people in Emerald are desperately looking to the Adani mine and the—on some estimates—up to 10,000 jobs that the Adani mine would create to secure their futures and the future of their children and their grandchildren. And you, Senator Waters, stand in the way of that and you come into this chamber crying crocodile tears about jobs in regional Queensland.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Attorney-General, I will remind you of the question.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President, for reminding me of other part of Senator Waters's question. It is the case that, as part of its budget repair, the government plans to realise $1.3 billion in savings from ARENA. But I might point out to you that ARENA will continue to administer and fund its existing portfolio of 252 funded projects, and to jointly manage the $1 billion Clean Energy Innovation Fund with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. So far ARENA has provided— (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters on a supplementary question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that both the coalition and the Labor Party have agreed to cut the Australia's greenhouse emissions under the Paris climate agreement—although not by as much as the science says we should—and both have agreed on a renewable energy target, albeit a lower one, why are you now also both agreeing to cut the one agency that is central to meeting both the Paris target and the Renewable Energy Target?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At least we have been consistent on this issue unlike the Labor Party, which undertook during the election campaign that it would support this budget saving measure, but now, having lost the election, comes back into this chamber threatening to block this budget savings measure. But we will hear more about that later in the week, Senator Cormann, when we debate the relevant budget measures.

The sad reality is that, because of the size of the debt and deficit that we inherited some three years ago when we came into office in September 2013, hard choices had to be made to get the budget under control. So what the government did, particularly in the 2014 budget, was it identified those areas of the government activities where economies could be made and this was one of them.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters on a final supplementary question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that both the coalition and the Labor Party have received $3.7 million from the fossil fuel industry over the last three years and given that both of them also support $24 billion over the forward estimates in subsidies to that sector—there is a budget saving for you—and both appear set to support the ARENA cuts, are these cuts simply a way of stopping competition to the fossil fuel sector?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, they are absolutely not, Senator Waters. They are economies for the reason I explained in my answer to your first supplementary question. And, Senator Waters, I have to pull you up in answer to your first question for your double standard in pretending to be interested in jobs in regional Queensland when you have been the principal enemy of the greatest potential source of jobs in regional Queensland. Now, in your second supplementary question, you ask a question about large donations from the fossil fuel industry, when your political party, the Greens, were the beneficiary of the largest single corporate donation in Australian political history, from Mr Graeme Wood and Wotif. So, please, Senator Waters, do not—

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr President. Senator Brandis is misleading the chamber. It was not a corporate donation; it was a personal donation.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order, Senator Whish-Wilson. That was debating the issue.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Whish-Wilson, you are welcome to make points of order on my answers any time. Alright, Senator Whish-Wilson, I take your point: it was a personal donation of $1.2 million to the Greens by Mr Graeme Wood of Wotif.