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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2939 ..

MR SPEAKER: I do not uphold Mr Corbell's point. I do uphold Mr Humphries's point of order. The matter of public importance is: "The need for the ACT Government to increase action to reduce the ACT's greenhouse gas emissions". It is quite specific.

MS TUCKER: Mr Speaker, I would also argue that the national electricity market was the subject of a Bill tabled here today.

MR SPEAKER: Which you will not discuss.

MS TUCKER: No, I will not; but it is national, and my very point is that this is a national scheme. Of course it is relevant to talk about the Federal Government's policies. How can you possibly not do that? We are part of the national electricity scheme. Anyway, I have finished talking about the Federal Government, so you can let the point of order go, Mr Humphries. I think I have, anyway. You can raise the point of order again if it comes up again, and I will be happy to argue it with you.

In frustration at the Government's inaction, I seek leave to table drafting instructions which I submitted eight months ago for amendments to the Energy and Water Act 1988.

Leave granted.

MS TUCKER: These drafting instructions have not even been allocated for work, despite the fact that we gave them top priority for drafting. The amendments would require ACTEW - those drafting instructions would have to be changed now to add reference to any future electricity retailers selling electricity into the ACT - to prepare one-, three- and five-year greenhouse gas reduction plans. Similar legislation has already been enacted in New South Wales, along with other measures.

The Greens locally and nationally have proposed a number of innovative measures that would simultaneously reduce energy consumption, reduce greenhouse emissions and create jobs in the ACT. The Greens in the ACT have proposed the establishment of an energy efficiency and alternative energy fund. The fund is to be created from a levy of one per cent on the gross revenue derived from the sale of electricity in the ACT. The fund would provide about $2m annually which could be used for incentives for households and business to retrofit energy-saving features and for public education. As members are probably well aware, a similar levy exists in the Gas Act. I think it is 0.5 per cent there.

This afternoon we will also be moving amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act which will stimulate greater energy efficiency and consumer savings in the rental sector. The ACT imports nearly all of its energy. That means that most of the money spent on energy in the ACT generates jobs elsewhere. In contrast, most of the money spent on installing energy-saving systems such as insulation, solar water heaters and other building retrofitting activities would stay in Canberra and generate new businesses and employment opportunities in the ACT.

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