Transcript: Penny Wong Interview with Jane Hutcheon
Penny Wong
posted Friday, 13 August 2010
JOURNALIST: Penny Wong, welcome. Is the wind farm announcement an attempt to sidestep a much bigger question in the mind of voters, the form of a future carbon tax?
WONG: This investment – the largest renewables generation capacity in the southern hemisphere – is an example of what you can get when you’ve got a Government that’s committed to renewable energy, a Government that gets the policy settings right to drive the incentive and when the private sector steps up to the plate and is prepared to invest.
We’re seeing a $1 billion investment in this project – the largest renewable energy project in the southern hemisphere. It’s great news. It’s the equivalent of taking 400,000 vehicles off the road. It’s a really exciting project that heralds Australia’s clean energy future.
JOURNALIST: It’s an amazing project given that so many investors are uncertain of investing in projects like that because of the uncertainty over the climate change policy. How many stalled wind projects are there in the wings at the moment?
WONG: We have given a lot of certainty to renewable energy projects, far more than the Opposition would have if they had been elected previously. We passed the Renewable Energy Target. We’ve worked with the industry to make sure it gets the settings it needs to make the investments we all need. And the project that has been announced is an example of that. There is uncertainty in the energy sector and that is as a result of the actions of Mr Abbott.
JOURNALIST: Are we going to have a huge cost blowout by the time the wind farm actually gets up and running?
WONG: Well I’m not sure what your question goes to. The wind farm is a project that has been the subject of discussion in the private sector. They have made their investment decisions. They are investing the $1 billion. It’s an example of what happens when governments get the policy settings right; when governments are committed to renewable energy.
But if you want to talk about cost blowouts, let’s talk about Mr Abbott who is failing to submit his policies for costings under the Charter of Budget Honesty. It is demonstration of the lack of his credibility.
JOURNALIST: But he has also said that he will submit those costings and reveal them to the public next week. The wind farm has been labelled a disaster for the township…
WONG: Can I take you up on that. Jane, can I take you up on that. Let’s be clear what he is doing. Mr Abbott has always said until recently, yes we will put them in. He is now saying he is not prepared, as the man who wants to be Prime Minister, to put his policies to the Treasury and to Finance in accordance with the Charter of Budget Honesty. This is an extraordinary development.
JOURNALIST: That is because of the leaks Penny Wong. That is because of the leaks. He doesn’t trust the process.
WONG: They were happy to trust it when they used Mr Grech and his information for the purposes of a political attack. This is a convenient excuse from an Opposition that does not have the economic credibility, does not have the economic plan, and has a leader who does not have the economic judgment that would make him fit to be Prime Minister. They are trying to avoid at all costs scrutiny on this issue. But it is an issue that goes to the heart of his suitability to be Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST: Let’s talk about this wind farm which of course is not actually part of the election campaign. It was something that has been in the wings long before that. It’s been labelled a disaster by the township of Macarthur because people are worried about the pollution and the lack of visual appeal. What’s been done to address those concerns?
WONG: There are two points I want to respond to. One is your proposition that this has been in the wings for a long time. It has, but what has enabled it to come into fruition, what has enabled it to be implemented and become a reality, is that this Government has got the policy settings right, and that this Government is committed to renewable energy. I was at the launch yesterday where the private companies or the companies concerned made it very clear they needed the legislation that we passed, the policies that we put in place to make this investment worthwhile.
In terms of landholders, I met with a number of people yesterday at the launch from the community who were very supportive of this project. I am not familiar with all the issues in terms of the local community and the differences of views. But I would say this. This is a project which will ensure we take the equivalent of 400,000 cars off the road. This is a good thing. It will create 1,000 jobs. These are good things. This is an important part of our step towards a clean energy future.
JOURNALIST: And just a quick question on water. Labor has delayed spending of $200 million on water projects because it is still catching up with infrastructure projects on the Murray Darling Basin. How many more delays are there going to be?
WONG: I am not sure what the $200 million is that you are referring to. We have rolled out a substantial number of programs and projects since we came to government, standing in stark contrast to the Howard Government that did not return one drop of water to the Murray Darling Basin. We’ve purchased 900 billion litres of entitlement. We have a range of programs; some $4.4 billion is committed for investment in re-plumbing the Basin. Many of those projects have started to be rolled out. We are serious about doing this.
What stands in stark contrast to the Opposition whose shadow minister, the spokesperson on water, has said that returning water to the River is ‘theft’ for the environment. I think that shows what is motivating the Opposition. They are simply not up to making the hard decisions about the Murray Darling. To fix up the Murray Darling you have to take less water out.
JOURNALIST: OK, a great pleasure speaking to you. That’s Penny Wong there.
WONG: Good to speak with you.
Tags: Budget, Charter, Honesty, of, Penny, Wong