E&OE….
Topics: Renewable Energy Target, women in Parliament, 500km Walk for Autism
TOM ELLIOTT:
Let's talk to Greg Hunt, the Federal Environment Minister now. Mr Hunt, good afternoon.
GREG HUNT:
And good afternoon Tom.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Now firstly, the Renewable Energy Target. You recently agreed that with the Labor Party. Now, Malcolm Turnbull has described it as a form of a tax, a tax designed to increase the price of electricity so that people will use more renewables rather than coal-fired power.
Alan Tudge, your colleague and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister has come out and said no, it is not a tax. You are the Federal Environment Minister, what is it – is it a tax or not?
GREG HUNT:
Sure. So it's actually what's called a target, by definition, it's a Renewable Energy Target which in technical terms mandates a quota. However, it does have a price impact but it's not a direct mandating of a price, it's not a direct tax as such.
But what we have always said is it's not free, it comes at a cost, and that's precisely why we adjusted it and why we're astonished that the Labor Party has just put in place a target which will see a massive increase in expenditure and in electricity prices on top of the carbon tax so Australians effectively get hit twice on their electricity price.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Okay. But so you're acknowledging that the Renewable Energy Target will have some upward impact on power prices…
GREG HUNT:
Yes we've always said…
TOM ELLIOTT:
Okay.
GREG HUNT:
…we have always said that, which is why we actually adjusted it from 41,000 gigawatt hours, that's a big number, to 33,000.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Thirty-three.
GREG HUNT:
And the ALP resisted, but agreed four weeks ago and all of a sudden they've come out with a figure which would be about 110,000. What does it mean? It means that mums and dads pay higher electricity prices because it doesn't directly affect the electricity price, but it flows through indirectly. And even the CFMEU said it would mean higher electricity prices for manufacturing and for households, and the Electricity Supply Association said electricity prices will go up, no ifs and buts. That's what the ALP is doing.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Alright. Well, but if it's not a tax, but Malcolm Stuart is- sorry, Malcolm Stuart, Malcolm Turnbull is saying it is a tax, will you ring him up now and tell him to stop saying that?
GREG HUNT:
Oh look, I'm completely relaxed about how people present it, because what does it do? It mandates a quota of renewable energy by setting a target. What is the impact? It has an impact on people's electricity prices. And anything that focuses the debate about electricity prices, which calls to account the Labor Party driving up electricity prices deliberately, intentionally, but not admitting to it, I think is valuable and useful.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Okay. But again, this is your RET, your renewable electricity target, so you have to admit that it is your target that will also increase electricity prices.
GREG HUNT:
Well we've actually just adjusted it down from 41 to 33,000 precisely because we were concerned about its achievability, and about the impact on prices.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Alright. On another issue, Dr Sharman Stone, your Liberal colleague, has come out today and said that the behaviour during Question Time puts off women from entering politics. What do you think?
GREG HUNT:
Look, Question Time can be a very tough place and I know people of different genders who've said look, I would love to be in public policy but the parliamentary life is pretty tough. And I know men and women. And so I have no doubt that there will be people on both sides of politics and people of both genders who are deterred. And it can be a tough environment, and my view is that we should try to focus on the policy, and to be very cautious with the personal.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Okay. Now, what about quotas for women though? That's another thing she – Dr Sharman Stone that is – has called for in the past. Labor has a, it's a sort of target now of having 50 per cent women in the parliamentary Labor Party. Do you think the Coalition of which you are a part should have a similar quota to get more women into Parliament?
GREG HUNT:
Well I think what we do need is more women. And so you've got magnificent people such as Sharman Stone herself, Sarah Henderson in Victoria who's the Member for Corangamite, a new Senator who's coming in Jane Hume, and nationally people such as Julie Bishop, Sussan Ley, and then in the outer ministry Michaelia Cash, Marise Payne, Fiona Nash, who could all come into the Cabinet, all of whom are Cabinet quality.
So I think the potential for much higher numbers is there, and I would encourage as many women as possible to feel that they can and should join the Liberal Party, and that they can and should, if they are a member, put themselves forward for pre-selection.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Now finally Mr Hunt, I know you're on the phone today because you are out on a long walk, what are you doing?
GREG HUNT:
So it's a 500 kilometre walk around my electorate for autism. We're raising funds for a little kindergarten in Hastings called Abacus, which does early intervention work. And we're visiting over 50 schools in the electorate and all of the towns.
And I think at the moment I've just finished day nine, we're about 225 kilometres in … sort of a few foot bandages and a few blisters, and it's in the you-don't-really-want-to-talk-about-that category. But what's great is speaking to mums and dads who are really seeing their kids flourish. And we're doing pretty well with the fundraising, and we're doing I think even better with the awareness in the schools where kids are really beginning to take care of kids.
TOM ELLIOTT:
So sorry, how many k's are you walking a day?
GREG HUNT:
On average, about 27.
TOM ELLIOTT:
So it's going to take you … what's that … 20, 500 …
GREG HUNT:
Nineteen days.
TOM ELLIOTT:
… 20 days, yeah.
GREG HUNT:
Yeah, yeah. So it will be 19- we'll finish on day 19, and I'm going to really push on from the weekend where it becomes- it's sort of more rural so therefore you cover more distance between the schools.
And, it's just a nice thing to see the way the schools are operating, they're really focusing on kids with autism. And so many parents say that it's something which has been not well understood but it's emerged in the last couple of years, and early intervention centres such as Abacus in Hastings they just do life-transforming work.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Greg Hunt, thank you for your time.
GREG HUNT:
Hey thanks Tom.
TOM ELLIOTT:
Federal Environment Minister there, Greg Hunt. Well you have to admire that, he's walking 500 kilometres to raise awareness for autism at a rate of 27 kilometres a day. And that's 19 days of walking. And I think he implied he was suffering from chaffing.
(ENDS)