Doorstop with Anthony Harris, President of the Burnie Bowls Club, and Gavin Pearce MP, Member for Braddon

ANTHONY HARRIS: Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I’d just like to welcome everyone here to the Burnie Bowls Club on the north-west coast of Tassie. Here today to introduce our Federal Member for Braddon, Gavin Pearce. Part of the reason we're here is because of the support we've had in being able to achieve a fairly significant business goal at the bowls club here. And when we took over the management of that, one of our major costs was electricity. Our power costs were quite significant and we knew straight away that for us to continue to be successful and survive, we need to get the business model right. Now, that worked hand-in-hand with the Federal Government's push towards solar power and solar energy, and providing subsidies for that. It was really important to us at that particular time that we're able to look into that. The club made applications for grants and we were fortunate enough in 2017 in the first tranche of those to gain some grant money. That was then followed up 18 months later where we're able to finish and add to the solar panel installations that we have now.  We have 125 panels on the roof area of our indoor centre, and that's really made a significant difference to the business going forward. We also replaced all our lighting with LED lighting. We can't understate the benefit that that's given us as well. Probably somewhere 60 to 70 per cent reduction in our overall power costs, and that meant that our business model was sustainable. But with that, I'd like to hand over to Gavin.

GAVIN PEARCE: Thanks Anthony. Thanks so much Anthony, and thank you all for attending this morning. It's an important day. It's an important day, but prior to me introducing the Minister, I just want to talk a little bit about the club and about our region and how proud I am of not only our region, but in particular this club. Anthony, you and your committee, the work that you've done over many years, trying to reduce that bottom line and to make your business model's bottom line that much stronger. It's a credit to you. And isn't it strange how, or isn't it good how that business model bottom line also equates to a reduction in carbon emissions? That's how the Federal Government sees our business model and our energy reduction program that we're rolling out around the country. Tasmania, of course, has a particular place of pride when it comes to the nation's renewable story. We've already achieved a 100 per cent renewable status with our hydro-electricity, our wind and our solar. We look forward to a 200 per cent by 2040, thanks to the state government's ambitious but realistic goal. My job is to work with Federal Government to ensure that that continues and to build the business model benchmarks along the way. One particular benchmark that is important and it's important to us all, is the importance of Marinus and building our critical mass in our own state's clean green energy, to a sufficient critical mass whereby we can export that to shore up the gap that has been left by an exponential growth in renewables in Australia. Australia has a very good story to tell when it comes to renewables. In fact, when you look at the international markets, the international statistics, Australia is 11 times the international level of renewable growth in the last five years. It's phenomenal. When we look around and we see how many solar panels are on roofs, just like this one, you know, across the country, I think it's over 400 watts per citizen when it comes to averaging that out. It's an incredible growth. But behind that growth is a hole, and that whole is the firming energy that's required when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow, and that's where Tasmania comes in with Battery of the Nation and hydro firming energy, that big energy that we require when those big switches of industry are turned on throughout the country, the Tomago aluminium smelters and the like. When that switch is turned on, we need clean green reliable energy. And that switch, when it's turned, we need to have power coming right behind it. That's where Tasmania comes in, it's where Snowy 2.0 comes in, and that's where the Minister for Energy comes in. And as I introduce the Minister, I'd just like to let you all know the relationship that we've formed over my two years in Parliament. Angus Taylor, who it gives me great pleasure to introduce to the north-west coast today, is a visionary when it comes to not only renewable energy and energy markets, but he's also the most switched on business man that I know in Federal Parliament. He understands the business model, just like Anthony's model, he needs to return to his bottom line so that he can reduce his costs, and in so doing so, reduces his carbon footprint. Mutually beneficial things. And the bloke that I'm about to introduce, it gives me great pride and pleasure to introduce - the Minister for Energy and Emission Reduction, the Honourable Angus Taylor.

ANGUS TAYLOR: It's great to be in Tasmania. It's great to be here in Burnie and it's great to be at the Burnie Bowls Club. Thank you for that introduction a moment ago. It's just brilliant to hear the story of how you've been reducing your energy bills. I know Gavin is a great advocate for how we help organisations and businesses right across Tasmania and Australia to reduce their bills and bring down emissions, as he rightly said, at the same time. He's a very active local member. He's always in my ear about the important issues that really matter for this region, including Marinus. I'll come back to that in a moment.

GAVIN PEARCE: And money. [Laughter]

ANGUS TAYLOR: But look, what we're announcing today is an important program called Powering Communities, which will be over $10 million invested in helping community organisations in places like this right across Australia to reduce their energy costs and bring down emissions at the same time. We know when we go into sports clubs, rural fire services, CWAs, right across Australia, one of the biggest bills for all of those organisations is their energy. And bringing down that cost helps all the members of those volunteer clubs to make ends meet, to keep their club going, to be able to invest in the things they want to be able to invest in, to keep the essence of that club - whether it be playing sport or supporting the local community in other ways - is that it helps those clubs to be able to get on to do the things they like to do. So, this program is designed to give grants of between $5,000 and $12,000 to commit to driving energy efficiency. Whether it's replacing refrigerators, air conditions. Or putting solar cells on the roof. Replacing the lights, putting in LED lighting. Exactly what we've seen here done at the Burnie Bowls Club - it's a great example that we see around us of what we want to see occur. Now, what we know is that organisations across Australia, businesses across Australia, are bringing their energy bills down. We've seen a 9 per cent reduction, on average, across Australia in their energy bills. But we want to see usage coming down, and energy efficiency being driven as well. If we look at our emissions reductions across Australia, we are world leaders. We've beat our 2020 targets, we're on track to beat our 2030 targets, and we're doing it, as Gavin said, through sensible things being done by Australian's right across the country. So, whether it's the highest level of investment in household solar in the world. One in four houses in Australia, one in four houses in Australia, that is the highest in the world. Whether it's driving energy efficiency initiatives, which has been instrumental to us achieving our emissions reductions, these are those basic things, sensible things, that Australians are doing across the board to bring down their energy bills and bring down their emissions at the same time. And its programs like this one, and those that have been in the past that have helped support the solar cells on the roof here, that we've seen driving those outcomes that have allowed Australia to achieve what have been really extraordinary emissions reductions in recent years. 19 per cent down on 2005 levels, and we're on track for our 26 per cent emission reduction target by 2030. Now, another great project in this region of course, that is important, and not just to Tasmania, but to mainland Australia as well, is Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation. These are important projects, as Gavin said, not only for job creation in this region - we see the potential to create almost 3000 jobs from that project - but also to firm up energy which needs firming on the mainland. As we see our big, old thermal generators closing - and we heard just a few weeks ago Yallourn closure date coming forward in Victoria - we need to make sure the record levels of investments we're seeing in renewables being complemented with power that is there when you flick the switch. And of course, pumped hydro is one of the great opportunities to make sure we've got enough dispatchable power in this country. We're investing in Snowy 2.0 in New South Wales, in south eastern New South Wales. But of course, we want to see a similar project happening here, to expand the hydro capacity of Tasmania and export that to the mainland in Victoria and beyond. This is a great opportunity for Tasmania and it's a great opportunity for Australia. We've invested $94 million in this just recently, on top of the $56 million we invested a couple of years ago and we'll continue to support what is an important project for this region, but an important project for Australia as well. Today is primarily about the Powering Communities Program. It's particularly good to be able to announce this at a place that's already been doing a lot of what I'm describing and congratulations to the Burnie Bowls Club on the work you've been doing, of being one of Australia's many successful sporting clubs driven by its membership. It's great to be here. Thank you for the opportunity. Happy to take any questions.

JOURNALIST: I suppose could you explain, yeah, I mean, you've mostly covered up on a lot of the of the major benefits of this program, but what sort of money can organisations get and what makes for a really good application to be part of this grants program?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yeah. So, the grants can be for between 5000 and $12,000. That can be matched by the club or they don't need to be matched by that community organisation either way. And it's focussed on energy efficiency and bringing down power bills. So, as I said, replacing fridges, - which is a very common thing we see in many clubs, the refrigeration is a big cost. Air conditioning, heating. Or indeed just bringing down the bills by putting in place solar cells or batteries. They're the projects that we're looking for and they are projects that, as I say, bring down power bills but bring down emissions at the same time. We should not understate the impact that those sorts of initiatives have already been having on power bills across Australia and emissions across Australia in recent years. LED lighting, all the lights here were replaced a few years ago. It's a great example of the sensible things Australians are doing, and that's exactly the kind of project we're interested in.

JOURNALIST: Right across the country, sporting clubs of various different sizes are finding that they can't sustain themselves due to declining membership and things like that. How do you see a scheme like this helping to keep some of those clubs alive?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yeah, it's a great question. So, many of those clubs face overheads each quarter or each month, where a big feature is the energy costs and so getting those overheads down allows those clubs, whether it's a golf club or a soccer club, you name it, to be able to bring those bills down and indeed, a church, I mean, all of those sorts of organisations, the energy bill comes across as one of those continual costs that organisations have to be able to deal with. Now finding the capital that they can invest to be able to do these things that are going to bring down those bills is always a challenge. And so, what we're aiming to do is support the local members of those clubs, give them the support that can get them to make those investments, help them to make those investments and bring down their bills in the process.

JOURNALIST: How certain are you that Marinus Link will go ahead?

ANGUS TAYLOR: We're absolutely committed to continuing to progress it to make it happen. I mean, it's an important project because it really is necessary to get extra firming power into the grid, particularly in Victoria. We're seeing record levels of investment in renewables, particularly household solar on the mainland. We're seeing it here as well, of course, but that requires firming. It means that when the sun goes down at 6 or 7 o'clock at night, you've got to, in the lead up to that, when the solar radiation is falling away, you've got to have an alternative that can cut in. Now, hydro can do that. It can store the excess energy that's been generated by solar cells during the day and then give it back when the sun goes down. Projects like Snowy 2.0, Marinus and Battery of the Nation are absolutely essential to shoring up our grid.

JOURNALIST: One of the questions that gets asked in Tasmania sometimes about Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation, but particularly Marinus Link, who pays? There is concern that Tasmanians might end up paying an inordinate share of the cost I suppose.

ANGUS TAYLOR: We live in a market economy where customers pay for services. That's how our system works. And so customers should pay for services, and that's exactly right for electricity, as it is for gas, as it is for water, as it is so many other things. So that's our system. Now, that's the principle that we'll always take forward when we look at projects like this.

JOURNALIST: So, in that sense, if we're pumping a lot of this in electricity to Victoria, should it be Victoria that pays the bulk of the project?

ANGUS TAYLOR: The expectation is that the mainland will be the main source of customers for the project. That's the whole point. That's why we need an additional link interconnect alongside Bass Link. That's the purpose of the exercise, and so customers pay for services. That's how the Australian system works.

JOURNALIST: We've been talking about Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation for a while now. What's the timeframe for getting it all sorted and up and going?

ANGUS TAYLOR: We're continuing to invest. We're not slowing down. We've just committed just before Christmas, $94 million to progress the work, those early works that have got to be done as a pre-requisite then to go to full construction. So, we'll move it as quickly as we possibly can.

JOURNALIST: The Government has faced weeks of questions around women's safety and respect for women. Will yesterday's Cabinet reshuffle will actually change anything?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yes. Yes. This is a major change in the status of women in cabinet, and it's a major signal that we're serious about dealing with the issues that have been discussed and have been raised in recent weeks. I have no doubt that my colleagues across the board who have been given these important roles in Cabinet will do a fantastic job. And, you know, they've all been doing fantastic jobs in their portfolios to date, and this will add to it. And it will give that important question of how we make sure that women are given a fair go in everything they do, is given the right level of status in the cabinet. I'm very confident that it will have a real impact.

JOURNALIST: Given everything that's been going on, is it embarrassing to be a Federal MP at the moment?

ANGUS TAYLOR: No, I'm very proud to be a Federal MP. I mean, Australia is a world leader when it comes to the way we've been dealing with the virus, for instance, over the last 12 months. I mean, there's no place I would rather have been over the last 12 months than in Australia. And I'm incredibly proud to have been part of a government that has done an extraordinary job of managing this. I note that the Tasmanian Government has done an extraordinary job of managing it locally as well. I mean, what better place could we be in than Australia? So, that pride I have in our country and the way we've been managing our way through this. But so many other issues. I mean, the economy. We've had unemployment below six per cent. That's the envy of the world when we've been facing what we've been facing in recent months. It's an extraordinary outcome, and I'm confident we can continue to deliver on those extraordinary outcomes.

JOURNALIST: On the royal commission into veterans' suicide that's being proposed, is the RSL president, Major General Greg Melick's position untenable, given that he criticised Julie-Ann Finney's campaigning for a royal commission? He said that: ‘She's done an immense damage to the cause to assuage her guilt over her failed relationship with her son and many families who did not want a massive public exposure, will now suffer significant trauma.’ Is that position now untenable based on those comments?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, let me make a broader comment, that the status of veterans in our community is enormously important. I ride each year, Pollie Pedal for Soldier On to support veterans across our community. I think this is an enormously important issue. But I have the privilege of having right here beside me a veteran who cares deeply about these issues and spoke recently in the Parliament about them, and I might ask Gavin to make a couple of comments on that question.

GAVIN PEARCE:  Just in relation to your question around National President of the RSL, Greg Melick, and also that comment that he's made. I'll leave that up to the President of the RSL to make those comments. However, Julie-Ann Finney was present in the gallery the other day when we were introducing a private motion on the voices to Parliament calling for a royal commission into veteran suicide. I was the first speaker after the Minister on the floor speaking in favour of that. I have never been against a royal commission, nor have I been against the preferred option that the Prime Minister proposed, and that was an enduring national commissioner. As well as a families' advocate that could sit with the powers of a royal commission in order to subpoena witnesses, to compel witnesses, to add that witness protection posture that only a royal commission could, that became the powers of the national commission. We all know that a royal commission is going to take 18 months before we hand down any findings from that and we see any real action. But I said the other day, and I mean it, I maintain it, that our veterans need looking after now. What happens to the digger next week that's contemplating that? I want something for that soldier, sailor, or airman next week. Only a national commissioner can do that, and only a national commissioner has the powers of reach back. So, what I'm saying, there is once a royal commission, an off the shelf royal commission delivers its findings to the Government, they then walk away. Those 12 QCs then are disbanded, and that's up to Government now. What I want to see is the enduring powers applied to those recommendations so that we know that those recommendations won't simply sit on a shelf, that they'll be enacted. And only a national commissioner can do that. So to get back to your question in relation to president of the RSL and the comments that he's made, I'll leave that up to him. But what I will say is we need something for our veterans today, tomorrow, next week. And I think a combination of the two, once we de-conflate the jurisdictional powers of both a royal commission and a national commissioner are understood, then I think we can do both. We can walk and chew gum at the same time on this.

JOURNALIST: I've just got one more for the Minister. Thanks, Gavin. Are you comfortable sharing the party room with Andrew Laming, particularly knowing your colleague Sarah Henderson isn't?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, I know that Andrew Laming has said he will be stepping down at the next election, and of course, he's no longer pursuing some of his previous parliamentary duties, including on committees. And that's important for Andrew to deal with these issues and these allegations that have been made against him. It's absolutely appropriate that he should. He'll be having training as well on these issues. That's as it should be. And obviously, he'll continue to sit in the party room and it's important that he deal with these issues in an appropriate way, and I think that's exactly what's been happening.

JOURNALIST: So you're comfortable with the situation?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, as I say, I'm comfortable with the fact that he is dealing with these issues as he should, and he's made a series of decisions in the last few days which are absolutely appropriate. And he'll continue to sit in the party room as a colleague of all of us.

ENDS