Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Industry Research and Development (Golden Beach Gas Storage Acceleration Program) Instrument 2022, made under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986, be disallowed.

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement regarding this motion.

Leave not granted.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted? Any senator can deny leave. That's why I'm looking around the chamber, that's all. Leave is granted.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We do not support the disallowance of this instrument which would undermine the contractual arrangements already entered into by the Commonwealth and Golden Beach energy in good faith. The former government fixated on a gas-fired recovery, which has turn into a bin-fire.

The Albanese government is fast-tracking the uptake of renewables through its Powering Australia plan. What we won't do is to push over projects that have made commercial decisions on the basis of committed, contracted government funding that is already being delivered, all for the sake of political pointscoring. We look carefully at existing government programs through our audit of wasteful spending. The government has redirected more than $50 million in gas infrastructure spending from the previous government's accelerating priority gas infrastructure measure.

Agreeing to this motion would undermine existing contractual arrangements, pose risk for the Commonwealth and create sovereign risk for investors.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question before the chamber is one moved by Senator Cox, a disallowance motion.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you serious? When are you going to get consent?

The Deputy:

Order! Senator Thorpe, I ask you to restrain yourself. Your own teller needs to concentrate.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You should be ashamed—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Thorpe, there are plenty of opportunities to debate at other times.