Parliament House Doorstop Interview
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
WEDNESDAY, 27 JULY 2022
SUBJECT: Action of Business for 47th Parliament
SENATOR GROGAN: It's great to be here today the first day of action of business for the 47th Parliament. We are very excited about some of the legislation that we are going to be bringing in today, particularly the climate bill but also the aged care bill, and various other bills that will actually start delivering on the agenda that the Albanese Labor Government took to the election.
The climate bill, particularly for people in South Australia is critical. South Australia is a very progressive state and has great plans for renewable development, there are excellent opportunities in the upper Spencer Gulf with hydrogen developments and various other renewables.
The opportunities here will be significantly enhanced by legislating for the 43% target that Labor has been pursuing. We are very confident that putting this in place will encourage business development, will help our industries have the confidence to build for the future and that will seriously improve conditions for all of us.
There's a lot of concern about whether the target is too high or too low, what this target does is it takes what is agreed in the business and industry communities, the things that they believe they can achieve, and we would push that. This is a floor, and this is something that we can deliver and will deliver.
The other bills going forward, such as aged care, we're very excited to be starting to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission, this has lagged so far behind since the release of the Royal Commission, and today will be putting in place legislation to deliver 17 of those recommendations. That will increase the transparency, it will protect older people in aged care facilities and will start that path to a more respectful and safer environment for our older people.
INTERVIEWER: [Indistinguishable]
SENATOR GROGAN: I think the challenge here is that the target 43% is something that we came to after a great deal of work, great deal of consultation. The Albanese Labor Government is one of consultation and respect, and that's what came to that target. Now, there are those that say it is too low, but we've already seen this situation in previous times over last 20 years where action has been stymied by the pursuit of the perfect, and that's not what we should do. Which means going ahead setting this target setting in legislation, which is best practise, so that we have the confidence, that businesses have the confidence, industries have the confidence, that we get back on the global stage, get out of the naughty corner and we actually start to be a productive and progressive part of a global movement to address climate change.
INTERVIEWER: [Indistinguishable]
The party room always has great debate, it's a very respectful experience to be in that room and everyone has their view but no, everyone is totally behind the timeline.
INTERVIEWER: [Indistinguishable] – Question was on Aged Care.
SENATOR GROGAN: There was a lot of work been done around what the current situation is in aged care, obviously we've seen some really significant challenges over the last decade, the Royal Commission has provided recommendations that will actually change the trajectory of aged care, make it safer, there are a range of things that are coming today. There are also a great many other things that need to be considered and need to be looked at, that detail is being worked through… what we are doing today is introducing 2 bills that will start that process, they are the things that we know and will do immediately, and the rest is being dealt with as swiftly as possible.
INTERVIEWER: [Indistinguishable]
SENATOR GROGAN:
Yes, the commitment that we took to the election is one that we standby and that we will work very hard to get moved forward as quickly as possible, it is in the legislation, and it will be introduced.