Renewable energy transition
724. Mr Terry Healy to the Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation:
Before I ask my question, I would like to acknowledge the students of St Mark's Anglican Community School who are here and their super champion, the member for Hillarys.
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to transforming Western Australia into a renewable energy powerhouse.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr Terry Healy: I ask the following.
(1) Can the minister advise the house on the importance of delivering a clear and sensible plan for WA's energy transition?
(2) Can the minister also advise what the consequences are for failing to have a clear and sensible plan?
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson replied:
(1)–(2) I am glad the member for Central Wheatbelt is excited to hear from me because I have some content for him.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, we do not need your commentary, thanks.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: It is a fact. It is official: renewable energy is the cheapest form of generation. Households in Western Australia have taken up solar and have the highest uptake of anywhere in the nation because it saves them money on their bills. Industry is switching to renewable energy because it is cheaper than coal-fired power and gas-fired power. In our very sensible planned transition out of state coal assets, we will bring on large-scale renewables. This is what will put downward pressure on electricity bills. We are delivering record investment in our grid to connect more households and businesses to cheaper renewable energy. The fact is that if we do not bring on more renewable energy, Western Australians will end up paying more for their energy in the long term. But, as usual, we see that the Liberal and National Parties are in complete chaos over their energy policies. We have seen the Nationals in WA also ditch net zero. This came as a surprise to me, and I found it quite ironic, because I have recently learned that the member for Central Wheatbelt has a degree in climate change. He has ditched the degree. He has ignored the degree and ditched net zero.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Thank you.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: For the purposes of Hansard, the member for Central Wheatbelt is nodding his head and confirming. He has ditched the science. He has ditched all those years of work learning about climate change and is happy to throw net zero overboard. The question is: What will the WA Liberals do and what will the WA Liberal leader do? I remind the chamber that the Leader of the Liberal Party said that only a mug would ditch net zero. I want to share with the chamber my secret Santa gift from my office—a mug with a photo of the Leader of the Opposition and "only a mug" written on the back.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Member for Central Wheatbelt, thank you.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: I will get some copies made for the opposition. As well as my secret Santa gift, there is another gift doing the rounds, and that is the gift of ditching net zero. It was first gifted by Pauline and Barnaby, and then the Nationals adopted it and gifted it. They literally handed the Liberal Party a turd. Sussan Ley polished and put glitter on the turd and then pretended it was the best gift she had ever received. She has continued to sell it. The question is: Will the WA Leader of the Liberal Party accept the gilded turd?
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Adam Hort interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Kalamunda, thank you!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We know he has a record across the community of saying one thing and doing another. We know that he told Supercars that he loves a street circuit and that he told the community that he hates it. He said he is committed to doing whatever it takes to get more women into the Liberal Party and increase female representation. Let us look at his record on women since he has been in this place and before. He closed a women's shelter. He rolled the female leader of his own party. In fact, he tried to roll her before he was even in Parliament.
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Point of order
Several members interjected.
The Speaker: Thank you, minister, Leader of the Opposition and member for Landsdale! When you are ready, thank you. Points of order will be heard in silence.
Ms Sandra Brewer: I have a point of order on relevance. The question was in relation to energy generation and renewable energy.
The Speaker: Thank you. I will not be upholding that point of order. The minister is responding to the question. I have the question in front of me.
Questions without notice resumed
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Just to recap, the Leader of the Opposition closed the women's shelter and rolled the female leader of the Liberal Party. He even tried to do that before he was in this place. We do not need to look any further than his social media to see how little progress the Liberal Party has made. We recently saw the all-star male panel for the Liberal Party's branch meeting in Midland. My favourite part of that was that it introduced the "shadow member for Midland"—that is a new one—also known as a failed Liberal Party candidate to everyone else. The extraordinary thing about this is that it shows that nothing has changed in the Liberal Party. It is the same old Liberal Party. No-one thought there was anything wrong with this picture, not only before they arranged who would be on the panel, but also whoever was doing the leader's social media thought this was fine and completely representative of the people who live in Midland. They could not find a single woman to go on that panel. Nothing has changed this year for the Leader of the Liberals in WA—nothing at all. They are the same old Liberals—still dysfunctional, still fighting each other and still not fighting for Western Australians.
