Renewable energy
358. Ms Sook Yee Laito theMinister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to transform Western Australia into a renewable energy powerhouse.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how the government is leading a sensible and managed energy transition in Western Australia?
(2) Is the minister aware of any alternative approach that is being proposed?
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson replied:
I will start by wishing the Premier a happy birthday and appropriately sucking up to the boss!
(1)–(2) The Cook Labor government is and has been for many years now committed to transitioning out of state-owned coal-fired power generation by 2030. We are setting a credible trajectory of emissions reductions to get to net zero by 2050. We have supported net zero by 2050 for many, many years now and are putting in place the framework to get there and to support our economy to do that with a renewable energy system that is connected with new transmission and backed by storage and gas as the backstop. That is going to be the pathway to the least-cost energy mix into the future.
We have seen recently that in its statement of opportunities, the Australian Energy Market Operator has backed in our clean energy transition. We have positioned our energy system to be robust enough to cope with the seasonal fluctuations and to support a growing economy with an investment of more than $6 billion in initiatives, including building out the grid in the northern suburbs, leveraging out rooftop solar through our household battery subsidy for up to 100,000 households, decarbonising our heavy industry in the Pilbara and helping them transition into the new economy.
Given that energy underpins everything that we do in Western Australia and our entire economic prosperity, it is astounding that the Liberal and National Parties went to the last election with no energy policy.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Carry on, minister.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: The last policy that we saw out of the Liberal Party was Peter Dutton's nuclear plan. That was a fantasy that was resoundingly rejected by the community. Prior to that, in 2021, there was a proposal—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson:—of shutting down coal this year, in 2025. That would have crippled communities like Collie—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, you are making it very difficult to hear the minister.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: It would have crippled communities in the South West and Collie—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: —and it would have put our grid and energy security at risk. Just when members thought it could not get worse, the WA Liberal State Council recently voted to dump any attempt to reach net zero by 2050. Instead of fighting for Western Australians, they are fighting each other over whether we should even reach net zero when major economies around the world have been heavily investing into renewable energy. Countries that do not step up will be left behind right in the Dark Ages, exactly where the Liberal and National Parties are. We know that the Leader of the Opposition has gone on a range of listening—
Several members interjected.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We know that the Leader of the Opposition has embarked on a number of listening tours, most recently in Mandurah with the member for Canning, Andrew Hastie. Imagine how well that went when they cannot even listen to each other! The only time we ever see them on the same page is when they are in The West Australian fighting each other.
Several members interjected.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Are they listening to each other? The headline is excellent. It is "Liberals declared 'all out war' as Hastie targets Zempilas over net zero". If we needed any further proof that the Liberal Party is in complete chaos, that is it. It has become so used to the state of chaos that the member for Cottesloe described it as "pretty normal stuff"!
Several members interjected.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: No, it was quoted in The West Australian—"pretty normal stuff". That was after Andrew Hastie sent a newsletter to his entire electorate—not just the Liberal Party members, but his entire electorate—criticising the state Leader of the Opposition because he supports the status quo. The question is: What is the status quo that the Leader of the Opposition supports? Is it our sensible and managed plan to transition to net zero or does he support the status quo of the ongoing chaos in the Liberal Party? While the Leader of the Opposition is embarking on extensive listening tours, no-one in the Liberal Party is listening to him. It is clear that no-one is listening to him. We are backing Western Australia, we are backing industries and we are backing households. We are making decisions for the future and for our children and their children. We are not looking backwards into the past—
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We are not looking backwards into the past and to the Dark Ages, which is exactly where the Nationals and Liberals are, but to the future of prosperity for our children and their children's children.
