Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1, standing in my name for today, proposing a reference to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee, relating to the levelised cost of electricity.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the following matters be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2017:

(a) the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), with particular reference to the energy production options, including:

(i) coal fired electricity (without carbon capture and storage),

(ii) combined cycle gas turbines (without carbon capture and storage),

(iii) wind turbines,

(iv) medium-sized (five megawatt) solar photovoltaic (PV) systems,

(v) hydroelectricity, and

(vi) nuclear power;

(b) the projected LCOE generation in Australia from 2017 to 2030 as using coal, gas, wind, solar, hydroelectricity and nuclear power, and the likely variations in the percentages of these sources of electricity over the same period;

(c) the amount of taxpayer subsidies currently paid for electricity generation from each source, and the projected subsidies to 2030;

(d) to assist in cost effective decisions relating to carbon dioxide reductions, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for coal, gas, wind, solar energy, hydroelectricity and nuclear power in:

(i) the construction process for plants or farms, for example, construction of components and transportation,

(ii) a 20 year power production period once constructed, and

(iii) the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for wind and solar PV farms across a 20 year power production period when a gas fired power station is the backup power source for when wind and solar PV is not supplying power at the rated power level, including the carbon dioxide emitted from the backup power source;

(e) the average amount of time over a year, a month, a week and a day that power plants or power farms are not producing power at their full-rated power level;

(f) whether the basis for calculating the effect on global climate of carbon dioxide as a result of human activity is either the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) or the reports of NASA or the reports of CSIRO;

(g) the financial costs and benefits to Australia of reducing Australia's carbon dioxide output by 23 per cent, 50 per cent and 90 per cent; and

(h) any other related matter.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our No. 1 energy policy priority is maintaining energy security and affordability as we transition to a lower emissions future. That is why, under the coalition, the COAG Energy Council has commissioned Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, to develop a national reform blueprint to maintain energy security and reliability in the National Electricity Market. The substantive energy matters to be examined in the proposed reference are being exhaustively considered through the work of Dr Finkel and in three Senate and House inquiries currently underway into Australia's energy market.

With respect to climate change, the Australian government accepts the science of climate change and takes its primary advice on climate science from the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO. Under the Paris Agreement, Australia is committed to reduce emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

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

The question is that the motion as amended, moved by Senator Roberts, be agreed to.

A division having been called and the bells being rung—

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I make a statement, Mr President?

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

I will take that as a point of clarification whilst the division bells are ringing. Senator Roberts did call for a division. You could seek leave at the end of the division to make a statement. It would be up to the Senate whether it accepts that proposition at that point.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very concerned about the number of referrals coming through and inquiries we are having. I support inquiries. This chamber has achieved so much through inquiries over the many years I have been here. But we run the risk of overloading the secretariat staff with work. I was just talking to Senator Reynolds. She is on 23 to 24 inquiries at the moment. How can you read all the submissions? How can you do the work? How can you do it properly? I urge the Senate leadership—Senator Wong, Senator Brandis and the crossbench—to get together and work out some coherent way to bring these inquiries forward so that the staff are not overworked and overloaded, so that we can do our work properly and not rush the recommendations, and so that we bring justice to the good work the Senate has done for so many years. I hope everyone gets together and thinks of the staff, who have so much work to do with so many inquiries. I support Senator Roberts, and perhaps we can have an inquiry later on. But let's not overload everyone with work, and let's do our job properly.