Page 5992 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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national target—more than eight times, because they are different baselines—and in doing more we will allow other states to do less. Just to add insult to injury, under the legislation we will not even necessarily get the direct economic activity that goes with the construction of renewable energy generators.
When we look around the country, we see that there has been an attitude that says, “We support the environment; we need to do something.” Most people would say that, yes, we should do something. But the approach of the Labor Party and the Greens on this issue is that this is something and therefore we must do it. That has been the approach of the Labor Party and the Greens on this issue. It is something; we can point to the fact that we are really into solar. But the economic activity is not going to happen here, and the subsidy is effectively going to go from ACT electricity users to New South Wales in particular, and other states, because they will be able to emit more as a result of the efforts of Canberrans. That does not make a lot of sense. That does not strike me as good policy. It does not strike me as responsible or sensible policy.
That is why we are not supporting this legislation. This particular amendment highlights that, and it highlights the point that I was making.
I would briefly comment on the issue of two megawatts versus 200 kilowatts, because there has been some lobbying from local business. It is clear from the government’s perspective that they are putting this in to respond to some of those concerns, but they have no intention of this actually being a reality. The legislation will allow it, but the government have made it very clear—they have made it very clear to us in briefings—that they have no intention of allowing those smaller generations or medium-sized generations of 200 kilowatts or so to be part of this plan. I do not think that the government’s position has changed. I think this is one of those where they are offering a sop to industry but they are not actually going to deliver on it.
The legislation will allow for it to happen, but we were told in the briefing that the government’s advice is that this will put unreasonable strains on the network. I do not know whether that is true or not. If it is true it will call into question a lot of what has been planned for the medium scheme. If the medium scheme had gone ahead as it was originally intended, presumably those medium generators would have been putting those same kinds of strains on the network. The government now tells us that is the case. I do not know the answer to that, but I do know that the government has signalled that it has no intention of making this a reality. I suspect that this is a cosmetic change at best: the legislation will change, but in practice this will not occur, certainly under this government.
In summary, these amendments highlight the points that the Canberra Liberals have made. This will allow for people of the ACT to be slugged in order to meet a 40 per cent target that is eight times the national target. In doing so through this legislation, they will be subsidising economic activity in other parts of the country so that other states can do less. We will be funding it. That is not good policy; that is not equitable policy; that is not a policy that produces tangible environmental outcomes. That is a policy similar to a lot of the failed schemes we have seen around the country where there is an idea that you have got to do something, and this is something; therefore
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