Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, representing the Prime Minister. The Finkel review said that if we did absolutely nothing, if we went on with business as usual, renewable energy would make up 35 per cent of our energy mix by 2030. Can the minister confirm that under this government's plan the renewable energy mix will fall as low as 28 per cent of the total energy mix, meaning we will have less renewable energy under your plan than if we did absolutely nothing?

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

Thank you, Senator 'Di Na-ta-li'. Have I got it right now, Senator Di Natale?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order on both sides! Both sides! Order!

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

The range estimated under the National Energy Guarantee for renewables is in the range of 28 per cent to 36 per cent. It is expressed as a range. It's a range in which you shouldn't—if I may say so, with respect—take the bottom figure, because it is expressed as a range. It is, in fact, up to 36 per cent. Senator Di Natale, the reason we express the range in that way is that there needs to be flexibility in the mix over the years, because these figures are projected up to 2030.

What I can predict here is that renewables will be, as we both know, a growing proportion of the national energy mix. But it is also the case that coal and other carbon based sources will also continue to be a significant part of the national energy mix because we are preoccupied with two objectives and two objects above all others—they are, to have the price to consumers as low as possible and to have supply as reliable as possible. The reduction in the price to consumers under the National Energy Guarantee is projected to be between $110 to $115 to the average household per annum. Under Dr Finkel's plan, it was projected to be approximately $90 per annum. So consumers will save more under the government's National Energy Guarantee while, at the same time, they can be confident of the reliability of supply and also confident that we will keep our Paris targets.

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

Senator Di Natale on a supplementary question.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Attorney-General. The Renewable Energy Target currently has industry growing at 8.8 per cent a year until 2020. But when the government's policy takes over, the industry will collapse to growth at between 0.4 per cent to 1.2 per cent a year for the entire decade after 2020. Will the government confirm this and will the government confirm that it intends to sacrifice the jobs, investment and the protection of our environment under his plan?

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

Not only do I not accept it, I reject it outright. I absolutely reject it because, as I told you in my answer to your initial question, the renewable energy mix will continue to grow in that range of between 28 per cent and 36 per cent of the energy mix.

But, Senator Di Natale, while I am on my feet, might I take the opportunity to congratulate you because you and the Greens, I must say, have got the Labor Party on the run. You have completely got the Australian Labor Party on the run. We have the government with a clear policy, which will have tangible and meaningful reductions to household electricity prices. We have the Greens, who are committed to an ideologically based policy which has no ambition whatsoever to reduce the price of electricity supply to households. And you have got the Australian Labor Party, a policy-free zone on this issue, chasing after you. A great political victory for you, Senator Di Natale. (Time expired)

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

Senator Di Natale on a final supplementary question.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier today, the government didn't comply with the Senate's order to produce the modelling to justify their claim that bills will be reduced by $115 a year. Is this because that number was plucked from the one place where the sun doesn't shine?

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

That was a number that was assessed by the people better placed than anybody else in this country to assess it—that is, the members of the Energy Security Board. They are Dr Kerry Schott, the chair of the Energy Security Board—who you would know, Senator, as a person who has made a study of this area of policy for a very long time, is one of the most experienced energy market specialists in this country—John Pierce, whose name I tabled a moment ago, the Australian Energy Market Commission chair; Audrey Zibelman, the CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator; and the other members of the Energy Security Board. That is their professional judgement, the professional judgement of the people in this country with the most experience and best placed to make judgements about the operation of the energy market. (Time expired)