Address-in-Reply, Governor-General's Speech
Senator VAN (20:30): I rise to speak on my first address-in-reply to the Governor-General's speech. I note it was also the first speech to this chamber of the new Governor-General, His Excellency the Hon. David Hurley. I congratulate him on his appointment. He comes with a distinguished career of military service to his country—namely, as a former chief of defence forces. Of course, he will be familiar to his current role, having been a governor of New South Wales. I wish the Governor-General and his wife, Linda, well.
The coalition are the custodians entrusted by the Australian people to form government. The coalition government tested their tax plan against Labor's tax plan at the last election. The result could not have been starker. It was to tax less versus to tax more. The Australian people saw our plan and they voted for it. They saw our leader, Scott Morrison, and they voted for him. The coalition's consistent and proven ability to manage the economy was, as I see it, a key reason for not only holding onto government but being returned with an increased majority at the last federal election. But, of course, not all is economic. Good economic management is just the first step towards prosperity, and it becomes self-evident that a strong economy is the foundation upon which jobs, wages and social growth can bloom.
We've maintained our AAA credit rating. This means we're saving more as we're paying less to borrow. The benefits are not just for government; it flows on through to a lower cost of borrowing for the corporate sector. We've just recorded a current account surplus for the first time since 1975. We are on track to deliver a surplus this year, the first since Peter Costello's in the financial year 2007-08. History has shown that many, if not most, Australians will be reticent to place preference on reformist agendas at the ballot box if they have faith in the government's ability to keep the cost-of-living expenses down and believe economic security will remain in their daily lives. In this election, they kept that faith.
When people's jobs and finances are secure, it allows governments greater room to put forth policies around important issues of social merit without perceived risk to individuals' own wealth. It also means that we have the budget to ensure our Defence servicemen and women have the kit they require. I'm proud that our government has committed to spending two per cent of GDP on our defence budget. That means we can play our part in enforcing the rules based order that ensures our region is more stable, secure and prosperous. As part of the largest step up of our Australian military in peacetime history, there will be $200 billion of investment over the next decade. I'm pleased that this has translated to more and more Australian small and medium enterprises playing an increasing role in delivering for our Defence Force. They are the workforce behind the Defence Force. By building our sovereign industrial capability, we're using our defence dollar not only to ensure our servicemen and women have the kit they require but also to ensure we are able to create Australian jobs and drive our economy.
In the time left I would like to focus particularly on the issue of the environment. As I said in my maiden speech last week, I believe in the importance of personal responsibility. I'm also conscious that we do not live in a perfect world and therefore sometimes the role of government extends to incentivising, or disincentivising, when it is for the common good. The government is integrated with our standard of living. To this end, the coalition government has a proud record of investing in and improving the environment. There are the iconic issues, such as the Great Barrier Reef, in which the government is investing some $1.2 billion. Or there's the big and complex new issue of recycling waste, a newer problem that ranges from local government level up to federal government level. Single-use plastic is an issue that, if resolved, will help the environment in real time and locally. A pragmatic solution must be found that protects our oceans and waterways and that leads to practical action that will require more than just virtue signalling.
Senator McKim interjecting—
I'm glad that wasn't lost on you. The Minister for the Environment has said realistic targets have 100 per cent of Australia's packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Such a target is absolutely a step in the right direction. But I believe that it should be coupled with the carefully crafted program that both incentivises and pressures industry to adopt cleaner alternatives and better product stewardship by stimulating innovation where cleaner solutions are currently lacking. If products can reasonably be replaced with current alternatives—
Debate interrupted - in continuation
I rise to continue my address-in-reply to the Governor-General's speech. Before the break, I was talking about the Minister for the Environment's target to have 100 per cent of Australia's packaging re-usable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. As I said earlier, such a target is absolutely a step in the right direction, but I believe that it should be coupled with a carefully crafted program that both incentivises and pressures industry to adopt cleaner alternatives and better product stewardship, stimulating innovation where cleaner solutions are currently lacking.
If products can reasonably be replaced by current alternatives, we should promote the phasing out of single-use plastics. Where this is not immediately possible, mandatory stewardship should actively drive innovative solutions for the effective disposal of waste, whereby producers or importers work hand-in-hand with business to recycle the leftover waste of these pollutants—that is, after the consumer has dealt with them.
While the war against single-use plastics is a global one, Australia needs to play its role by confidently setting realistic standards and expectations to limit one of our major pollutants. One of the worst reflections of our global plastics problem has evolved into what has been dubbed 'the great Pacific garbage patch'. This area, with two distinct hubs—one near Japan and the other near Hawaii—is filled with garbage from activities on multiple continents. Over half the plastic in the patch comes from land-based sources, with much of the worst plastic coming from single-use items such as plastic bags, water bottles, bottle caps and foam cups. As the plastic breaks down in the sun it becomes a threat to marine food chains, as well as putting harmful chemicals into the oceans. Responsible, pragmatic actions will do more than just protect our oceans and marine life. It is only with a sense of urgency that we can ensure single-use plastics are phased out responsibly so that we can ensure a clean a future for our nation, our children and those to follow.
The work of this government will also mean that we can reduce our carbon emissions and meet our international targets in a way that won't cost people their jobs. In my own state of Victoria, the state government's reckless energy policies have driven baseload and reliable generation out of the market and replaced it with unreliable intermittent power sources. With the closing of crucial coal-fired electricity generators in Victoria, we know that unless action is taken with improved investment in networks and reliable dispatchable power, such as natural gas generation, Victorian households and small businesses will face a future of higher prices and blackouts this summer. The state government's moratorium on natural gas exploration and production is changing Victoria from an energy-rich estate to an energy-poor one. This poses an enormous threat to our manufacturing industry, including, for example, Portland's aluminium smelter in south-west Victoria. The Victorian state government is following a recipe for disaster. We have seen in South Australia what happens: record high prices and black-outs. This government will do what it can to keep the lights on in Victoria and drive prices down.
Those on this side are not against renewable energy. It is the balance with reliability and cost that concerns us. We are focused on implementing practical and real energy policies, not unworkable and economy-destroying policies. The coalition government has set down its plan for Australia. As a new senator in the 46th parliament, I support this plan. As I said in my maiden speech last week, I restate my commitment to represent all Victorians and to listen to ideas from all sides of the political divide. I look forward to serving the people in my home state and I thank the senate for its indulgence.
