MARK DREYFUS MP

The reform of the government's carbon price package is about creating new jobs for Australians and attracting investment in the clean technology industries of the future

I joined the Mordialloc College community to celebrate the official opening of the $2 million discovery centre, which was funded under the federal government's Building the Education Revolution program. The discovery centre was funded through the science and learning centre component of the BER program.

We entered the refugee convention and we participated closely in the drafting of the refugee convention because Australia, as a compassionate nation, did not want to see a repetition of the horrific events that preceded the Second World War and occurred during the Second World War.

Using energy in the smartest and most productive way is in Australia's best interests. It makes good economic sense.

Putting a price on carbon is the most environmentally effective and cheapest way to cut pollution.

Supported by an $800,000 federal government grant funded through the Disability Employment Assistance Program, Wallara Industries is assisting people with an intellectual or developmental disability to undertake productive and meaningful work.

After decades of parliamentary debate about climate change, we have before this House a plan that has majority support within this parliament, a plan that will cut carbon pollution and drive investment in clean energy technologies and infrastructure, like solar, gas and wind.

The Government's clean energy plan is going to drive investment around the country - and it's going to drive the research expertise and infrastructure to underpin it.

We say that climate change is a global problem. It is a problem of the most severe kind - an environmental problem confronting not only Australia but the planet. It is one that needs to be grappled with by cutting carbon emissions.

I am more than happy to talk about the government's climate change policy, about how we are getting on with the job of legislating a carbon price for Australia and how we are getting on with the job of legislating to tackle climate change by putting a price tag on every tonne of pollution that is produced by around 500 large polluters.