❓ The WA Minister for Energy criticises the federal government's lack of action on renewable energy targets and climate change, hindering WA's efforts to increase renewable energy generation. The Minister highlights the federal government's resistance to increasing renewable energy targets and its slow acceptance of climate change science and emissions trading schemes.
AnsweredQoN 511Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION
Will the Minister for Energy advise the house how the federal government is making it difficult for the Carpenter government to increase renewable energy generation in Western Australia? Mr F.M. LOGAN
Will the Minister for Energy advise the house how the federal government is making it difficult for the Carpenter government to increase renewable energy generation in Western Australia? Mr F.M. LOGAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question and for her longstanding support for and encouragement of renewable energy in Western Australia. When looking at the impediments to establishing the production of greater amounts of renewable energy and renewable energy targets in Western Australia, we must look at what the federal government has done about targets. Firstly, the federal government has had a two per cent renewable energy target in place for a number of years. The federal government has steadfastly refused to increase that target despite numerous requests from industry generally, the renewable energy industry in particular, big business, environmental groups, the opposition and significant other groups in the country. That is why our government has released a discussion paper on establishing a mandatory renewable energy target in Western Australia. The Victorian government established the Victorian Renewable Energy Certificates scheme because of the federal government’s failure to act and increase the mandatory renewable energy target. Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for her longstanding support for and encouragement of renewable energy in Western Australia. When looking at the impediments to establishing the production of greater amounts of renewable energy and renewable energy targets in Western Australia, we must look at what the federal government has done about targets. Firstly, the federal government has had a two per cent renewable energy target in place for a number of years. The federal government has steadfastly refused to increase that target despite numerous requests from industry generally, the renewable energy industry in particular, big business, environmental groups, the opposition and significant other groups in the country. That is why our government has released a discussion paper on establishing a mandatory renewable energy target in Western Australia. The Victorian government established the Victorian Renewable Energy Certificates scheme because of the federal government’s failure to act and increase the mandatory renewable energy target. Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
I thank the member for the question and for her longstanding support for and encouragement of renewable energy in Western Australia. When looking at the impediments to establishing the production of greater amounts of renewable energy and renewable energy targets in Western Australia, we must look at what the federal government has done about targets. Firstly, the federal government has had a two per cent renewable energy target in place for a number of years. The federal government has steadfastly refused to increase that target despite numerous requests from industry generally, the renewable energy industry in particular, big business, environmental groups, the opposition and significant other groups in the country. That is why our government has released a discussion paper on establishing a mandatory renewable energy target in Western Australia. The Victorian government established the Victorian Renewable Energy Certificates scheme because of the federal government’s failure to act and increase the mandatory renewable energy target. Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
Mr F.M. LOGAN replied: I thank the member for the question and for her longstanding support for and encouragement of renewable energy in Western Australia. When looking at the impediments to establishing the production of greater amounts of renewable energy and renewable energy targets in Western Australia, we must look at what the federal government has done about targets. Firstly, the federal government has had a two per cent renewable energy target in place for a number of years. The federal government has steadfastly refused to increase that target despite numerous requests from industry generally, the renewable energy industry in particular, big business, environmental groups, the opposition and significant other groups in the country. That is why our government has released a discussion paper on establishing a mandatory renewable energy target in Western Australia. The Victorian government established the Victorian Renewable Energy Certificates scheme because of the federal government’s failure to act and increase the mandatory renewable energy target. Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
I thank the member for the question and for her longstanding support for and encouragement of renewable energy in Western Australia. When looking at the impediments to establishing the production of greater amounts of renewable energy and renewable energy targets in Western Australia, we must look at what the federal government has done about targets. Firstly, the federal government has had a two per cent renewable energy target in place for a number of years. The federal government has steadfastly refused to increase that target despite numerous requests from industry generally, the renewable energy industry in particular, big business, environmental groups, the opposition and significant other groups in the country. That is why our government has released a discussion paper on establishing a mandatory renewable energy target in Western Australia. The Victorian government established the Victorian Renewable Energy Certificates scheme because of the federal government’s failure to act and increase the mandatory renewable energy target. Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
Secondly, over the past decade the federal government initially refused to accept the evidence of global warming. Over a number of years the Prime Minister would not accept that global warming and climate change was a reality. The federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to the realisation that it eventually must do something about climate change. It was dragged kicking and screaming by the business community, and by the insurance industry in particular, and also by what is happening around the world. It has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept that climate change is a reality and that it must do something about it. Thirdly, the federal government has grudgingly accepted that a cap and trade system is the best and most cost-effective market-driven solution to emissions abatement. Members have heard the Prime Minister say on numerous occasions that he did not accept that either a cap and trade system or an emissions trading system was an acceptable solution to address emissions abatement or to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the federal government has now accepted it. The model it has accepted and taken up is the one that was created by the states themselves through the national emissions trading scheme. Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
Fourthly, despite the fact that the federal government has been dragged kicking and screaming to accept the reality of climate change and despite the fact that it has accepted that a cap and trade system is the only way to address emissions abatement in Australia, the Prime Minister’s own greenhouse task force has recommended the scrapping of state-based renewable energy targets and has recommended also that mandatory renewable energy certificates not be increased. Despite having done virtually nothing to increase the targets of mandatory renewable energy over quite a number of years, and despite having been dragged kicking and screaming after a number of years to accept that climate change is a reality, the federal government has decided to finally address it. It will put in place a trading emissions structure, but it will not increase mandatory renewable energy targets. That is the unfortunate situation in which we find ourselves. The federal government must take a leaf out of federal Labor’s book. The federal government has accepted the emissions trading scheme that federal Labor proposed, and I suggest that the federal government also look at the recommendations that federal Labor has proposed for mandatory renewable energy.
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