Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Water, Senator Ruston. The Cabinet Handbook, which makes it clear that it applies to the whole ministry not simply those ministers in the cabinet, requires that:

Members of the Cabinet must publicly support all Government decisions made in the Cabinet, even if they do not agree with them.

Does Minister Pitt accept this obligation to cabinet solidarity?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Gallagher for her question. Obviously, as you would expect, all ministers in the Morrison-Joyce government accept their responsibilities in relation to their obligations under the ministerial code and take them very, very seriously. However, Minister Pitt has made a number of comments in relation to issues that he feels very strongly about, and obviously he has the right to make those comments and those decisions. But, of course, as a government, we remain absolutely committed to sticking together.

Senator McKenzie has made comment today and on many, many occasions, and yesterday and the day before. I think she's probably very relieved that she's only had one question today. I thought that you might have continued with your track record this week of asking Senator McKenzie every question from that side of the chamber. But the one thing that this government, the National Party and the Liberal Party in coalition, does is that we work together respectfully to make sure that we deal with the issues that are important to all Australians—Australians that live in the city and Australians that live in rural and regional areas—because it is incumbent on all governments to make sure that we canvass the concerns of every Australian when we make very important policy decisions.

Minister Pitt, I and many other ministers in this government are expressing in this debate—respectfully amongst ourselves—the views of the constituencies that we represent. We have seen, through the responses that you have received from Senator McKenzie over the recent days, just how respectful that conversation is. And I can assure you that we will continue to have a respectful conversation with the people of Australia on this very, very important policy decision on our climate policy going forward, because it matters to Australians. It matters to them what this is going to cost and it matters how we plan to get there. (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher, a supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does Minister Pitt support the Prime Minister's position that the Australian government needs to adopt a net-zero-by-2050 commitment?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The whole government supports a platform and a plan that allows the Australian economy to be able to transition to a low-emissions future by developing a plan—

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Senator Gallagher, on a point of order?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's on direct relevance. The question had no preamble—

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, are you finished?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was directly about Minister Pitt's support for the Prime Minister's position. It was very direct, purposely drafted directly to that tight question.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you have a submission, Minister?

Senator Gallagher, allow me to rule. You've raised a point of order. In my opinion—I was listening carefully to the minister—she was being directly relevant to the question.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Right now, we are in the midst of a respectful conversation not only between the two parties of the coalition government but with the Australian public about a plan to make sure that we move to a clean energy future. We have not made any decisions in relation to the finality of that, so to come in here and make a whole heap of assumption about things—we will continue to work respectfully amongst our coalition partners to make sure that we deliver an energy future that does not cause households to pay higher energy prices, doesn't cause businesses to have to pay higher costs and doesn't put Australians out of work, particularly in our regions.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher, a second supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of Minister Pitt's own colleagues has reportedly said: 'He should go. He clearly doesn't agree, and it's not conducive to cabinet solidarity.' Will Minister Pitt resign?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, just to correct the record, Minister Pitt is not in cabinet. Minister Pitt is in the outer ministry. However, as I have said, as Senator McKenzie has said and as so many people on this side of the chamber have said, we are having a respectful conversation about our plan to get to a clean energy future. We understand our obligations in relation to emissions reduction, but we understand that there are obligations to the Australian public. Our obligation is to make sure that we don't tax them out of existence, that we do not add a financial burden to household energy bills, that we don't add a burden to businesses that puts them at a competitive disadvantage to the rest of the world and that we ensure that we actually protect Australian jobs in all sectors. We are absolutely committed to delivering what we said we were going to deliver, but we will do it through technology. We are not going to tax the Australian population and economy out of existence.