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?
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson replied:
(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.
