Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience (Senator McKenzie) to a question without notice asked by Senator O’Neill today relating to rural and regional Australia.

I quote:

We should reject Net Zero because it's bad for Australia, bad for our national interest, and it's going to do nothing to help the environment.

In addition:

Net zero emissions would just make us weaker.

Those are the words from Senator Matt Canavan, a member of this Morrison-Joyce government who, along with an alarming number of allies, has come to Canberra this week with the sole intention of scuttling the coalition's long-overdue backflip on climate policy. This has become an insurmountable political problem for Mr Morrison, himself no stranger to climate denialism antics, and it's a problem that encapsulates the inherent backwardness of this tired eight-year-long Liberal-National government. This Prime Minister won't hold a hose, mate, but he'll hold up a piece of coal in the House of Representatives as a cheap stunt. His sudden U-turn on climate change is what this country has come to expect from a Prime Minister whose ambition for this country goes no further than his own job title. There is none so pious as the new convert, and I'm sure we will soon see many of these agitators over there in the Nationals toeing the party line once they secure whatever off-budget pork-barrelling grant they have their eyes on.

But what is particularly galling to hear from those opposite is their breathless claim that they and only they are the true defenders of rural and regional Australia. This might come as a shock, but the views of the Nationals are not reflected in their communities. Rural and regional Australians, alongside the business sector and faith communities, are, in fact, leading the charge on climate action, and they do this because they accept the overwhelming scientific evidence and acknowledge the immense social and economic benefits of reform. The Courier-Mail today contains articles about the work of businesses, schools and community groups from regional Queensland, particularly Biloela and Wide Bay, who are using renewable energy and recycling to go green. In particular, I note the work of the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton, which has installed solar panels and batteries on a number of its schools, including Shalom College in Bundaberg. These schools are reportedly some of the first in Australia to have achieved 100 per cent renewable energy, and their actions show not only a commitment to reducing climate emissions but a devotion to the teachings of their Catholic faith.

In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si': On Care of Our Common Home,Pope Francis said:

Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.

The Pope goes on to call on followers:

… to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development.

The Pope questioned:

… how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis …

It's perplexing that the Catholic churches and the schools in Senator Canavan's own diocese are increasingly powered by renewable energy, an act that is at once aligned with the church's teachings and yet somehow diametrically opposed to the senator's views. I am immensely proud, as an Australian and as a Catholic, that my church has led on the front of this issue, and I, like many Australians, am deeply disappointed by the sideshow occurring in Canberra this week as the Nationals and the Liberals, the warring wings in the Morrison-Joyce government, focus on themselves rather than on the issues impacting ordinary Australians.

Net zero by 2050 is not a craze, it is not a fad, nor is it some vast conspiracy theory. It is the upside to proper action on climate change. It is indisputable, and it is a position that is broadly accepted by large swathes of the communities, including faith communities, the business sector and rural and regional Australians. We've heard senators opposite posture and argue about who represents rural and regional Australians while they argue against the very same policies that those communities are crying out for. (Time expired)

David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a Catholic and a member of this government, I'm immensely proud of what this government is doing to lower emissions. Those opposite don't seem to pay any attention to the real facts of what's going on here, so I think it's time to tell them a little bit of what we've been doing. Australia's emissions are at their lowest levels since records began. Emissions in 2020 were more than 20 per cent lower than the 2005 baseline being used for the Paris Agreement. Australia has reduced its emissions faster than have Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Senator Keneally's previous home, the USA. Australia is on track to beat our 2030 Paris target, and we will meet and beat that target. Let me repeat that: we will meet and beat that target. On a per person basis, that's a reduction of nearly 49 per cent per capita. This is more than France, Germany, Canada, New Zealand or Japan is expected to achieve.

Those opposite haven't even set a 2030 target that they will share with anyone, so God knows what they're carrying on about. Our approach to reducing emissions is not going to be theirs, which we know is going to be taxes. As we know, the world is changing, and we're going to need different mixes of energy. Our customers from all around the world, including Japan and Korea, are telling us that, so we're developing the technology to meet those challenges.

Australia is truly the envy of the world on this. We have strong targets. We are beating our targets. We're spending $1.2 billion on hydrogen development. We will get hydrogen well below the $2 per kilo mark, which is as expected, and that is for both blue and green hydrogen. But these things take time. These things aren't going to happen overnight. Like carbon capture and storage, these are technologies that need to be developed. We know that those opposite won't take any time to develop a tax on this. They'll apply it the second they ever get back into government. It's just a shame that they won't ever learn their lessons. Hopefully, they learned their lessons from the last election.

Australia is building wind and solar three times faster on a per capita basis than is Europe or the US. We have the world's highest take-up with rooftop solar, with one in four homes now having rooftop panels. Last year seven gigawatts of solar power were installed in Australia. It took 30 years to come up with the first gigawatt of renewable power. Now we're doing seven gigawatts a year. Globally, I believe the number is 700 gigawatts, so we're doing our fair share, and we're committed to reducing emissions through technology not taxes. Our Technology Investment Roadmap will support investments in hydrogen, long-duration energy storage, pumped hydro, low-emissions steel, low-emissions aluminium, carbon capture and storage, and healthy soils. Our commitments and investments in this will guide and be enhanced by $80 billion of private investment going along with ours by 2030. That will support 160,000 jobs. So Australia has achieved its emissions reduction, and, when you look at it on a per capita basis, we're doing far more than those opposite would ever have achieved.

Senator Keneally says we're an eight-year-old, tired government. Let me just remind you of a few things we've done in the last six weeks, since we were last sitting in this place. Five million Australians have received their first dose of a COVID vaccine, while 6.5 million have received their second dose. The first million doses of Moderna have arrived and have been put in the arms of those aged 12 or more. We've secured access to 300,000 doses of molnupiravir, if I'm pronouncing that correctly. We've created—and this might have been missed by those opposite—an enhanced security partnership, AUKUS, with the US and the UK. There was the historic first meeting of the Quad. The final budget outcome for 2021 showed a net improvement of $80 billion in the nation's finances. These are hardly the hallmarks of a tired government. I could keep going, if you would give me leave to continue my remarks.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

WATT () (): Again today we saw the rabble that is this coalition government on full display in question time. Over the last 24 hours, we've seen an increase in backgrounding from Liberals on Nationals, from Nationals on Liberals, from Nationals on Nationals and from Liberals on Liberals. Around and around it goes, just as it has for the last eight long years. Most recently—only yesterday in question time—we had Senator McKenzie saying that the National Party is the only party standing up for the regions. Then we had Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes pointing out that the Liberal Party represents more seats in rural and regional areas than the National Party.

Is it any wonder that this government, after eight long years, has been unable to come up with a policy on one of the biggest challenges facing our country and the world, one that will determine whether we get jobs and opportunities in regional areas of this country or whether they'll be sent overseas? The reason they can't come to a conclusion about this and make sure that they are putting regions, jobs and the environment first is that they are so hopelessly divided and want to spend their entire time chucking bombs at each other rather than working together in the interests of the country. Day after day we see this ongoing infighting which is holding back our regions and the country.

What we also learned in question time today is that this whole farce of the National Party pretending to fight for the regions is just that. It is a pantomime, and Senator Davey knows it. She's sitting there, and she knows in her heart that she is playing a role in a pantomime—as are Barnaby Joyce, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Senator McKenzie—because they all know that, for whatever they might be saying, for whatever crocodile tears they might be crying, for whatever protests they might be putting up and for whatever claims they're making about the regions, this has all been decided by a Liberal prime minister from Sydney: Scott Morrison.

Scott Morrison has basically said that, whatever the Nationals party room might think or do or call for, it's completely, utterly irrelevant, just like everything the National Party does in this chamber—full of posturing, full of bluster and full of infighting but never actually delivering for the regions. What the Prime Minister has said is that it will be a decision of the cabinet as to whether this country commits to net zero emissions in 2050. It's not a matter for the Nationals party room. Whatever bleating they might carry on with and whatever false protestations they might put up about caring for the regions, this Prime Minister from Sydney does not give a toss. He is going to push on with net zero emissions, because he knows the Liberals are backing him on it and he knows it's what the country wants.

This is just a big, long saga. What we are watching unfold in this parliament is longer than a Shakespearean tragedy. We all know where it's going to end up: the Prime Minister gets a deal for 2050, and the Nationals pretend to acclaim themselves as heroes. What we can be 100 per cent sure of is that whatever plan this Prime Minister comes up will be exactly what he is: a big fake. We have a fake for a prime minister. We have a marketing man who completely lacks substance, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the plan that the Prime Minister is going to take to Glasgow is also going to be a big fake plan. It's not going to be legislated. He's already said that whatever target he sets is not going to be set by legislation, so there will be no penalty for breaching it. There will be no way of enforcing it. It is going to be full of outs and exits and turnarounds and roundabouts and caveats to keep Barnaby Joyce happy. If Barnaby Joyce is involved in setting a deal on climate change, you can bet that it is not worth a cent. It is not worth the paper it's written on. This is going to be a fake plan from a fake Prime Minister leading a fake government that has done nothing about this and many other issues for eight years.

If you don't believe me that this is going to be a fake plan full of buzzwords, full of nonsense and full of meaningless statements that won't actually do anything, listen to what Senator Canavan is reported to have said after he came out after the coalition party room today. How many times from the focus groups delivered by the Prime Minister have we heard the latest catch phrase 'technology not taxes'? Every senator from the Liberal Party has rabbited on about 'technology not taxes'. Well, Senator Canavan has called them out. He said that that is just a slogan. It's too good to be true. It is like 'rainbows and puppies'. It is nonsense. It means nothing, just like their fake plan.

The:

Thank you, Senator Watt. I remind you to refer to those in that other place by their correct titles.

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is always a pleasure to rise in this place and talk about who in this chamber best represents the interests and best delivers for regional Australia. It is the government members on this side of the chamber that are delivering for regional Australia and, in particular, for regional Tasmania. One of my greatest joys as a senator for Tasmania is representing our great regions. As the duty senator for the seat of Lyons, I have a wonderful opportunity to get out and see the best of our state and see how our government is investing in regional Tasmania to ensure that our communities remain strong.

Just last week, I was up at Corumbene Care in the beautiful Derwent Valley. They have received $3.7 million under the Building Better Regions Fund to deliver a community and wellbeing hub, repurposing existing buildings at Willow Court. This is much needed infrastructure in the local community to support the health and wellbeing of all of those in the Derwent Valley and beyond, and I'm very glad that our government is delivering on this important project.

Our government has also committed $100 million for irrigation projects, which are so needed across regional Tasmania, so that our agriculture industry can continue to thrive and prosper. Growing up in Tasmania and spending so much time driving along the Midland Highway up from the south to the north of the state, you can see the transformative effect that our irrigation schemes have had in regional Tasmania in ensuring that our farms are green and are growing food to supply the nation. We've provided millions in financial relief to tourism businesses that have been impacted.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, I remind you that we are taking note of answers given by Senator McKenzie to questions asked by Senator O'Neill. I have listened carefully, and you've strayed way beyond the question.

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy President. I will turn my remarks now beyond just our government's broader investment in regional Tasmania to look at how we are working within the regions to ensure that Tasmania plays its part to reduce emissions, and that we are good custodians of the environment. The government is progressing the Battery of the Nation plans with the Tasmanian government, to increase the interconnection between Tasmania's energy market—which will be underpinned by an abundance of clean, reliable hydropower supported by newer wind developments—and the rest of the National Energy Market. I hear time and time again just how necessary this investment is in the regions and in hydroelectricity in Tasmania to ensure that we have jobs for the future, and also to ensure that we do our part in reducing emissions.

It often surprises me how pessimistic people can be about the world's capability to achieve the goal, which is some years away. When you look at the rate of advances in science and technology over the last century, it seems to me that we should be very optimistic about what we can achieve by 2050. As I've said, as a government we are investing to support that innovation here in Australia and particularly in regional Tasmania.

Earlier this month, I was fortunate to be able to visit an incredible Tasmanian business which was the recipient of a grant from the coalition government's Accelerating Commercialisation fund. This fund supports projects within the government's six national manufacturing priority areas, including food and beverage, recycling, and clean energy. It supports businesses which have ideas to undertake commercialisation activities in R&D, invest in technologies that will assist them to upscale their operations and secure further investment to expand both nationally and internationally.

Sea Forest, based at Triabunna in the south-east of Tasmania, is one of those businesses. They are doing world-leading work, cultivating a particular species of seaweed which, when added in small quantities to livestock feed, greatly reduces the amount of methane which is produced by those animals. This has huge potential for the livestock industry in Australia and around the world, because not only does growing the seaweed help to absorb carbon in and of itself, the end product reduces the amount of methane going into the atmosphere from one of our key industries in Australia. It was incredibly exciting to see the work that the team at Sea Forest are doing and how, with the support of this government—this government that invests in the regions, that has a plan—they are working to take that idea as a commercial product to the industry. If and when they take the next step, they'll be able to add significantly to their 40-strong workforce in a regional town which really needs jobs and career opportunities. That is just one example of the thousands of businesses around Australia, in the regions, who are innovating here and now in 2021 to create jobs and reduce our emissions.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes said yesterday: 'It's a misnomer to assume it is only the National Party that represents the voice of rural and regional Australians.' Senator McKenzie called her the member for Woolloomooloo during the course of this afternoon's proceedings, so that's going well! The truth is Senator Hughes is right.

Mr Joyce who, heaven help us, is the Deputy Prime Minister, said, 'The National Party represents the poorest electorates in the country.' The claim checks out. ABC Fact Check has checked it twice. It's absolutely correct. There is a relationship between National Party representation and poverty. The relationship is not a casual relationship; it's a causal relationship. A hundred years of National Party representation of some of these seats has delivered a century of impoverishment. If you vote Nationals, it's a very predictable result. If you vote Nationals, manufacturing jobs go offshore. If you vote Nationals, public services get privatised. If you vote Nationals, your health services get cut if you are in a country town. If you vote Nationals, your TAFE gets closed down and 150,000 apprentices disappear. If you vote Nationals, the dairy industry disappears. Indeed, if you vote Nationals in New South Wales, your Murray-Darling Basin water disappears to spivs and speculators. The National Party's representatives deliver social misery, unemployment and impoverishment.

It turns out today the Auditor-General said that half of the regional grants—do you know where half the regional grants money got spent? In the big cities. The Prime Minister, for all the positioning, all the pantomime, the look-behind-you action that's going on, all the briefing, all the carry on, has got this figured out. The Nationals are irrelevant. It's going to be a cabinet decision.

Senator McKenzie said today, 'We're going through our own internal processes.' Well, that's what they do best: go through their own internal processes, endlessly self-absorbed. Mr Littleproud said, 'We've only had four hours to consider this.' They've had more than 70,000 hours. It took less time to put a man on the moon than it's taken the National Party to figure out what they're doing about industrial development and clean technology in the regions. For all of the action in here, for all of Senator McKenzie's pantomime and carry-on: Don't worry about it, Senator McKenzie. The Prime Minister's got it figured out.

If the National Party really stood up for regional Australia, there'd be two things that would happen. First of all, they would have spent eight years figuring out a policy framework that delivers jobs, lowers emissions and drives down electricity prices. That's what they would have done. The Prime Minister said, 'If you have a go, you'll get a go.' Well, what happens if you have 21 goes? That's how many goes this Prime Minister's had, and the National Party's had no impact on this area of policy.

I tell you the second thing you'd do if you were the National Party and you were really going to stand up for the regions. You'd grow a backbone. You'd get serious. You'd really mobilise. When former Prime Minister Hawke and former Treasurer Keating decided that Australia shouldn't own a national airline anymore—a significant, momentous decision in the history of public ownership in Australia—do you know what they did? They had a national conference of the Labor Party. They took the debate on, they provided leadership and the wings of the Labor movement came together and thrashed it out and got a result. What do you see from this lot? Backgrounding, whinging, whimpering, crying, moaning about each other. There's no courage. There's no fight. There's no struggle. There's no spine. There's no backdown. There is no capacity for this quisling political party to represent regional Australians, if there ever was. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.