Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Can the minister please update the Senate on how the government is ensuring Australia's biggest emitters contribute their fair share towards emission reductions?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Pratt for her question and for her advocacy over many years, like many on this side, for action on climate. The government's safeguard mechanism reforms are, really, the first chance in over a decade for us to implement climate action that gets us towards net zero. That's the important thing: how do we get to the targets that have been set, which I thought the opposition supported? I'll say more about them shortly.

Australian businesses are pleading for it because they know that reducing emissions is essential to their long-term competitiveness in a global net-zero economy. We want to deliver sensible pro-climate reforms that the Australian people voted for and that businesses need so they can reduce emissions.

But those opposite—I think Senator Canavan is demonstrating it now—oppose reforms, because there is a pathology of political conflict over there. You're not interested in solutions. You're not actually interested in reducing emissions. You're not interested in having a mechanism which enables the market to have certainty so we can deliver net zero, which, supposedly, you support in principle.

You're not interested in that, but you are interested in having conflict—the same old fights, reheated for 2023. Of course, you have to ask the opposition who they are actually fighting for. Who are you fighting for? You're not fighting for businesses, because we know the business community supported this. You're not fighting for working Australians. You opposed both new jobs and secure jobs, whether it's the minimum—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Please continue, Senator Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You're not fighting for working Australians. You opposed new jobs in your opposition to the National Reconstruction Fund, and you opposed a boost to the minimum wage. You're not fighting for families, because you voted no to energy price relief just weeks before Christmas. The question to you is: whose side are you on? (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm going to wait until there is silence before I call Senator Pratt.

Senator McKenzie, it seems to be a habit of yours that the minute I call order you continue to call out. Senator Pratt, a first supplementary question?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister highlight the opportunities presented by the Albanese government's plans and what the potential costs of squandering those opportunities would be?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Pratt. You're right: these are plans where there is a great deal of cost to all of us, across the economy, across the community, if those opportunities are squandered. I remind the chamber that the proposed reforms to the safeguard mechanism have been carefully designed following nearly six months of consultation and have broad support across the community.

If I can go back to my first answer—what are you fighting for? You know you're fighting against business, you're fighting against working families and you're fighting against those on the minimum wage, but you're actually even fighting yourselves. You're fighting yourselves, because these are reforms that were first proposed by Mr Taylor. These are the same reforms that your party room signed off on. You're so determined to pick a fight that you're actually fighting against your own policy. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Watt and Senator Rennick! Senator Pratt, a second supplementary?

Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister please outline the impact the Albanese government's proposed reforms will have on certainty of investment and what threats there may be to that certainty?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to Senator Pratt. We on this side of the chamber understand that without certainty the market doesn't move. If you want a demonstration of that, you can see the 22 failed policies of those opposite and the way that smashed investment in the generation sector, and businesses know that. I'll refer to recent media this week. There was a headline in the AFR, 'Coalition blocking the "best shot" at net zero success', and it was reported:

Big business has urged the federal opposition to back the government's safeguard mechanism requiring big polluters to bring down emissions, warning a lack of bipartisan support could jeopardise the enormous private investment—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Wong.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Order! I have a senator on his feet. Senator Watt?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order: President, I'd draw your attention to the fact that Senator Rennick continues to try to disrupt the procedures despite your repeated requests not to.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Watt, that is not a point of order. Minister Wong, please continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can't remember where I was!

What we have is business themselves saying that your lack of bipartisan support could jeopardise 'the enormous private investment needed for the clean energy transition'. You are seeking again to just be wreckers. You're wreckers. (Time expired)