❓ Question regarding the federal government's stance on wind farms, particularly in light of decisions to halt developments and critical remarks from federal ministers. The response defends wind energy and criticizes the federal government's position.
AnsweredQoN 446Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WIND FARMS - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S DECISION
I refer to the decision of the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop the development of a wind farm in South Gippsland, Victoria. Is the minister aware of any other sentiments expressed by federal government ministers on wind farms? Mr M. McGOWAN
I refer to the decision of the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop the development of a wind farm in South Gippsland, Victoria. Is the minister aware of any other sentiments expressed by federal government ministers on wind farms? Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware of the decision by the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop a major wind farm development in Gippsland, Victoria. I am also aware of the decision by the federal environment minister to - Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware of the decision by the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop a major wind farm development in Gippsland, Victoria. I am also aware of the decision by the federal environment minister to - Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware of the decision by the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop a major wind farm development in Gippsland, Victoria. I am also aware of the decision by the federal environment minister to - Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware of the decision by the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop a major wind farm development in Gippsland, Victoria. I am also aware of the decision by the federal environment minister to - Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
I thank the member for Albany for the question. I am aware of the decision by the federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage to stop a major wind farm development in Gippsland, Victoria. I am also aware of the decision by the federal environment minister to - Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr T. Buswell interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Vasse to order. Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I am also aware of Senator Campbell’s decision to stop a wind farm in Denmark. It is very concerning when I hear remarks - Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr P.D. Omodei : How is he stopping the wind farm in Denmark? Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Obviously the Leader of the Opposition does not understand how federal ministers work. He does not understand a lot of things. He is a caretaker. We know he is a caretaker. That is one thing that Robert Taylor got right. Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr J.A. McGinty : No; he got another thing right! Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The Attorney General got a B+. We all thought he should have got an A+, and that is where Robert Taylor got it wrong. Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
Mr Peter McGauran, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, said yesterday that wind farms are a complete fraud, they exist only on taxpayers’ subsidies and they will make no difference to the level of greenhouse gas emissions. If that is the case, perhaps he would like to know that Western Australia now has nine wind farms that are producing 119 megawatts of power. That means that 230 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are no longer going into the atmosphere. In fact, the wind farm in Albany is producing 75 per cent of the power requirements of that town. In the United States and Europe, 32 per cent of their energy capacity per annum is produced by wind power. The United States and Europe are moving towards wind energy. However, the federal minister made those very unfortunate remarks about wind farms. He seemed to imply that a range of other energy initiatives, such as nuclear power, do not require government support. Nuclear power is the current initiative being pushed by the Liberal Party nationally and locally. We presume, in that case, that there would be no government subsidies. Unfortunately, if a company wants to build a nuclear power station, the government must pay the insurance premium; the industry cannot afford it because the insurance premium is too high. The waste generated by nuclear power plants hangs around not for thousands, but for tens of thousands of years. I am not aware of any businesses that have been around for that long. However, governments would have to pick up that cost as well. As has been seen in Britain, governments must meet the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which can amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. Perhaps Mr McGauran needs to think again.
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