Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. How many suburbs chosen as part of your solar battery grant program are in Labor held seats?

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

I thank Senator Ruston for the question. I assume that should actually be addressed to me as the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, but I will check who has responsibility for that program and the status of that program and where approvals under that program are at. I don't have personal knowledge of that, and, frankly, you wouldn't expect me to. But I would make this point: today we have—

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you read the hometown papers, you absolutely would know.

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

Senator Birmingham!

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

I'll take it on notice, and I will return with some further information from the relevant minister, as is appropriate. But I would make this point: what we saw today in this chamber was the majority of this chamber vote for a plan to get to net zero. Senator Ruston, you support net zero, don't you? Do you?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

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

I assumed so. I assume the moderates in the Liberal Party still support it.

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

Minister Wong, through the chair.

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

I'm very happy to give you time to talk—

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

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

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance, President: if the minister doesn't know the answer and has taken the question on notice, and she doesn't wish to be relevant to the question in her additional comments, I would ask her to perhaps just take it on notice.

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

Thank you, Senator Ruston, that's not a point of order. The minister has taken it on notice and is entitled to continue her remarks.

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

If I do recall, we had a very clear election commitment to roll out community batteries across Australia. We announced a number of batteries as an election commitment. I understand that the proposals for the first 50 locations are currently being assessed via the government's business grants hubs, after submissions closed in January. I also am advised that commitments were made in number of coalition seats, including Leichhardt and Bowman. But I would make this point: Senator Ruston—and I know that she has a lot on her mind—comes in here—

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order!

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You cannot help yourself!

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

Senator Cash, I have just called the jabber to order. Minister, please continue.

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

Senator Ruston, it would be useful if those of you on that side who actually believe in the net zero commitment you made to South Australia would come in here and tell us how you would get to it. (Time expired)

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

Senator Ruston, first supplementary?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My second question to the minister is: we would be keen to understand, if you could advise the Senate, how many sites under the improving mobile coverage round of the mobile blackspots program are in Labor held seats.

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

If I'm repping the PM, certainly I'll take that on notice. From memory, that would be in the Communications portfolio, so they should have been asked as the appropriate ministry.

But I'm happy to return now to community batteries. The Community Batteries for Household Solar program will maximise the benefits for Australia's rooftop solar transformation, supporting the grid and providing shared storage for up to 10,000 households. The first 48 community batteries, which were announced publicly as election commitments, will be delivered by the business grant hubs. The remaining 342 batteries with unspecified locations will be delivered by ARENA, with applications to open later this year.

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

Probably without a colour coded spread sheet.

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

I'd hesitate to take that interjection from Senator Watt. I think from that, Senator Ruston, you would see that yes, there are 48 that were announced as election commitments. There are also 342 which are, as I am advised, subject to— (Time expired)

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

Senator Ruston, a second supplementary?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 29 July last year, your finance minister tweeted:

… taxpayer money must be spent in the best interest of the community, not an election outcome.

Isn't this statement, along with countless others that have been made by your leader and other Labor ministers, a case of complete hypocrisy, when the answer to the two previous questions is 'three out of every four recipients in the solar battery program or the Mobile Black Spot Program are miraculously in Labor seats'?

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

That is incorrect. Senator Ruston, the assertion in the question—

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

Minister, please direct your comments through the chair.

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

Sorry. Through the chair: Senator Ruston is being very loose with the truth in her question. I told her that 48 batteries were announced as election commitments, and the remaining 342 are to be delivered by ARENA, with applications to open later this year. This is the problem with drafting a final supp without listening to the answers.

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

Minister Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Cash.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order: the minister should be directing her comments, as you stated, through the chair and not pointing directly at Senator Ruston.

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

Thank you, Senator Cash. I remind the minister to direct her comments through the chair.

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

I'm very happy to address you, President, but I am somewhat amused by Senator Cash, who is well known for a lot of pointing in this chamber, telling me about pointing. But if Senator Ruston wishes me to speak to you, I will, and—

the policy point I'm making, Senator Cash—I will take that interjection—is that I have told you that the numbers that you have asserted are incorrect, but you persist in putting misinformation in front of the Senate because you want to make a political point. It's not founded in fact. (Time expired)