Wednesday, 21 September 2022

Oil and gas exploration

Ms SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:25): My question today is to the Premier. As we all know, burning gas makes climate change worse, yet the federal Labor government recently opened up new oil and gas exploration off the coast of Victoria in an area the size of Tasmania. Usually gas projects cannot go ahead without the approval of both the commonwealth and state ministers as they have joint authority for decision-making in gas drilling projects. If re-elected, will the Andrews government refuse to support this gas drilling?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:26): I thank the member for Melbourne for her question. She has asked me about federal government activity, and I am more than happy to assist her in making representations to the federal government. If there are decisions that have been made and she would like further clarification about those decisions, then I am happy to—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Melbourne!

Mr ANDREWS: I missed that. I am sorry, I was still recovering from the climate change advice that I just received from the member for Brighton. He wanted me to legislate by 2030. Maybe there will be a lot of electricity needed that day because it will be a very cold day in Victoria when we take advice from the member for Brighton on climate change action. As for the member for Melbourne and her question, I think it is a question that has a hypothetical in there, and we take nothing for granted in relation to 26 November. We will be out there working very hard, campaigning very hard and—

Mr Hibbins: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, the question—

Members interjecting.

Mr Hibbins: I know they do not want to hear about their gas drilling, but if I could get a bit of silence from the government. The question specifically went to state government approvals of commonwealth decisions to open up areas for gas drilling, and I would ask you to bring the Premier back to actually answering the question. And further on the point of order—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Prahran has made his point of order. The Premier was being relevant to the question that was asked, and a point of order is not an opportunity to repeat the question.

Mr ANDREWS: The member raised a question about the work of Labor governments and climate change. There is only one group that is completely irrelevant to that work, and that is of course the political party who asked this question. Because you see there is climate change talk and there is climate change action. There is a transition and then there is the search for perfection that is of no consequence because it is never about a megawatt of extra power, it is never about even one wind turbine, it is never about actually making the transition and delivering a decarbonised economy, lower emissions, a higher percentage of energy generated by renewable sources, thousands and thousands of jobs—and good jobs; high-skilled, high-paid jobs. That work is never delivered by the questioning of the Greens; it is delivered by the action of Labor governments.

And given—directly relevant—the member asked me about the federal Labor government, I will say to the member for Melbourne that it is very refreshing that after nine years and about 19 different energy plans from that miserable excuse of a Morrison government we have got a Labor government that believes in science, believes in physics and understands that we are all contributing to a warming planet and that we need to make this change, not talk about it.

Mr Newbury interjected.

Mr ANDREWS: The member for Brighton says ‘Legislate it’. Again, do not hold your breath—or perhaps you should—waiting for us to take climate change action advice from the likes of you. We just won’t. Isn’t it great when the teals get out there? There is nothing like a convert. Ring me when you arrive in Damascus, my friend. The words of the Greens, the half-truths of the Liberals or action, a plan, delivery, jobs—real action on climate change—that is what Labor offers and that is what only Labor will deliver.

Ms SANDELL (Melbourne) (14:30): The Premier would like to talk about state government action on climate change, so let us talk about the fact that this Andrews government is allowing three new gas drilling projects to go ahead: Beach Energy’s gas drilling near the Twelve Apostles, Esso’s plans for a gas power plant at Hastings and Viva Energy’s plans for an import terminal at Corio Bay. You cannot stop the problem of climate change if you are also pouring fuel on the fire. If re-elected, will the Andrews government change track and not support these gas projects?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:31): My honourable friend the minister for climate change action asked the question, ‘What have the Romans ever done?’. The real question today is: what have the Greens ever done? They are the greatest contributors to global warming through hot air and talk—no action whatsoever. In fact we had a chance as a nation some time ago to put in place a world-leading scheme, and because it was not unicorn perfect they voted it down.

Mr Hibbins: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is using this opportunity to attack the Greens and not answer the question. The question went to specific projects, and he is not answering the question. I ask you, Speaker, to bring the Premier back to actually answering the question asked in question time by the member for Melbourne.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I ask the Premier to come back to the question.

Mr ANDREWS: I will tell the member for Melbourne and the rather agitated member for Prahran what a future Labor government will do: a future Labor government, with the strong support of the Victorian community—that is what we will be campaigning for—if we are given that great gift, will not be talking about climate change, we will be getting on and doing something about it. We will leave the commentary to the commentators, those who sit in the cheap seats. Nothing is ever good enough unless of course they the ones that ought get credit for it. Shame on you.