❓ Mr Michel questions the Minister on the Cook Labor government's renewable energy plans and collaboration with the Albanese government, highlighting potential risks from the Liberal Party's policies. The Minister emphasizes WA's renewable energy potential and criticizes the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 55Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Renewable energy—Rewiring the Nation
55. Mr Kevin Michel to
the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
The Cook Labor government—
Dr Tony Buti interjected.
The Speaker: Member
for Pilbara, just a moment. Attorney General, one of your own members of
government is asking a question and I cannot hear what he is asking. Start
again, member.
Mr Kevin Michel: I refer to the Cook Labor
government's plan to make Western Australia a renewable energy powerhouse.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how the
Cook Labor government is working with the Albanese Labor government to fast-track
WA's transition to cheap, clean and secure energy and to create local jobs?
(2) Can I ask the minister to advise the house if
she is aware of any risk to WA's future as a renewable energy powerhouse?
55. Mr Kevin Michel to
the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
The Cook Labor government—
Dr Tony Buti interjected.
The Speaker: Member
for Pilbara, just a moment. Attorney General, one of your own members of
government is asking a question and I cannot hear what he is asking. Start
again, member.
Mr Kevin Michel: I refer to the Cook Labor
government's plan to make Western Australia a renewable energy powerhouse.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how the
Cook Labor government is working with the Albanese Labor government to fast-track
WA's transition to cheap, clean and secure energy and to create local jobs?
(2) Can I ask the minister to advise the house if
she is aware of any risk to WA's future as a renewable energy powerhouse?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Thank you to the Member for
Pilbara for the question. Most of us in this chamber know that the energy
transition is here. It is upon us and we choose how it plays out. We either let
it happen to us and fly blindly or we choose the transition. We plan the
transition of jobs and we plan the entry of new industry, new generation and
new transmission of that energy across our great state.
Although it is true that Western
Australia is challenged and isolated from the rest of the nation in energy, we
have an unbelievable opportunity. We have an opportunity that jurisdictions
around the world would scramble for. We have unlimited wind and solar
opportunities in this state. That is the future of Western Australia—that
is, to become a clean energy powerhouse. We know that there is massive
investment from global companies into renewable energies. Renewable generation
is the cheapest form of energy production. Global companies, private markets as
well as governments around the world are investing in renewable energies. They
are not investing in new coal-fired power stations. They are not investing in
the past. They are investing in the future. It is extraordinary that the
Liberal Party, the party of free enterprise and free markets, which understand that
the economics of coal do not stack up anymore, continue to drive down
confidence in renewable energy. We will not resist it. We will harness it, make
the most of it and make sure that it drives opportunity in Western Australia.
That is exactly what we are doing in the Pilbara. We are
working with heavy industry. We know the Pilbara is the powerhouse of our
national economy. It is the powerhouse of our state economy. It is also one of
our biggest and highest emission regions. We have to support industry. It is the
government's responsibility to support industry and heavy industry to
decarbonise their operations and to make sure they are both decarbonising and
expanding so that we can grow our economy and grow those jobs. We are doing
that in partnership with the Commonwealth government through the $3 billion
Rewiring the Nation program from the Albanese government that, essentially,
provides funding for the transmission infrastructure for heavy industry. They
will provide the renewable energy we need. It will support them with getting
that energy to the right place and actually delivering those outcomes. The Commonwealth's
$3 billion is $3 billion of investment in local subcontractors in Western
Australian communities and the Pilbara as well as contractors in Perth and
manufacturing facilities in Perth.
We have seen Peter Dutton
promise that he will rip it out. He will stop it. He will end Rewiring the
Nation if he wins government and is Prime Minister. He will rip out $3 billion
of infrastructure investment in Western Australia. That includes local
manufacturers and local subcontractors. We saw the WA Liberal Party go to the
election with no energy policy—not a single idea on energy. It was
promising in the 2021 election to close down coal by this year—2025! It
was not a planned and sensible energy transition at all. There was nothing for
the people of Collie. We heard the Leader of the Liberal Party outline that
reliable energy is a key priority. The only energy policy we have so far out of
the Liberal Party is nuclear energy and scrapping Rewiring the Nation. That is
the only energy policy. The WA Liberals are a risk to our transition and Peter
Dutton is a risk to our economy.
The Speaker: The member for Kalamunda will have the
last question.
Pilbara for the question. Most of us in this chamber know that the energy
transition is here. It is upon us and we choose how it plays out. We either let
it happen to us and fly blindly or we choose the transition. We plan the
transition of jobs and we plan the entry of new industry, new generation and
new transmission of that energy across our great state.
Although it is true that Western
Australia is challenged and isolated from the rest of the nation in energy, we
have an unbelievable opportunity. We have an opportunity that jurisdictions
around the world would scramble for. We have unlimited wind and solar
opportunities in this state. That is the future of Western Australia—that
is, to become a clean energy powerhouse. We know that there is massive
investment from global companies into renewable energies. Renewable generation
is the cheapest form of energy production. Global companies, private markets as
well as governments around the world are investing in renewable energies. They
are not investing in new coal-fired power stations. They are not investing in
the past. They are investing in the future. It is extraordinary that the
Liberal Party, the party of free enterprise and free markets, which understand that
the economics of coal do not stack up anymore, continue to drive down
confidence in renewable energy. We will not resist it. We will harness it, make
the most of it and make sure that it drives opportunity in Western Australia.
That is exactly what we are doing in the Pilbara. We are
working with heavy industry. We know the Pilbara is the powerhouse of our
national economy. It is the powerhouse of our state economy. It is also one of
our biggest and highest emission regions. We have to support industry. It is the
government's responsibility to support industry and heavy industry to
decarbonise their operations and to make sure they are both decarbonising and
expanding so that we can grow our economy and grow those jobs. We are doing
that in partnership with the Commonwealth government through the $3 billion
Rewiring the Nation program from the Albanese government that, essentially,
provides funding for the transmission infrastructure for heavy industry. They
will provide the renewable energy we need. It will support them with getting
that energy to the right place and actually delivering those outcomes. The Commonwealth's
$3 billion is $3 billion of investment in local subcontractors in Western
Australian communities and the Pilbara as well as contractors in Perth and
manufacturing facilities in Perth.
We have seen Peter Dutton
promise that he will rip it out. He will stop it. He will end Rewiring the
Nation if he wins government and is Prime Minister. He will rip out $3 billion
of infrastructure investment in Western Australia. That includes local
manufacturers and local subcontractors. We saw the WA Liberal Party go to the
election with no energy policy—not a single idea on energy. It was
promising in the 2021 election to close down coal by this year—2025! It
was not a planned and sensible energy transition at all. There was nothing for
the people of Collie. We heard the Leader of the Liberal Party outline that
reliable energy is a key priority. The only energy policy we have so far out of
the Liberal Party is nuclear energy and scrapping Rewiring the Nation. That is
the only energy policy. The WA Liberals are a risk to our transition and Peter
Dutton is a risk to our economy.
The Speaker: The member for Kalamunda will have the
last question.
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