Mrs MIRABELLA (2:30 PM) —My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to comments of the Chairman of BlueScope Steel at the Press Club yesterday that China has a coal fired power system equal to more than 13 times Australia’s entire electricity generation and that between now and 2020 it is planning to add a further 60 per cent to its existing coal fired power generation. Why does the Prime Minister continue to insist, as she did yesterday in question time, that China is ahead of Australia in tackling climate change when she knows the opposite is true?

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order! Deputy Leader of the Opposition, it is a bit early to try to get a supplementary, and the supplementary has been used.

Ms Julie Bishop interjecting—

The SPEAKER —Order! No. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is now being defiant. The Prime Minister has the call.

Ms GILLARD (Prime Minister) —I thank the member for her question. What I said yesterday to the parliament was accurate, and let me add to it today. Let me inform the member who asked the question that in 2009, for the second year in a row, both the US and Europe added more power capacity from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, than from conventional sources. Let me also advise the member that renewables account for 60 per cent of newly installed capacity in Europe and more than 50 per cent in the US. At the same time, let me inform the member that China surpassed the US as the country with the greatest investment in clean energy.

Mrs Mirabella interjecting—

Ms GILLARD —Let’s just go through that sentence again because the member was yelling instead of listening. She pretends an interest in this question, but she is really just on the fear campaign. Let’s just go through that very slowly for her again. China surpassed the US as the country with the greatest investment in clean energy. Let’s just have a think about what that means for the future of the global economy and the economy of our region. We have the giant economy of China investing at that rate in clean energy, more than the United States. What should that imply to the member for Indi if she really stopped and thought about it? It should imply that China is making those investments for a purpose. It is making those investments because it too wants to tackle climate change. It should imply to the member for Indi that there will be huge economic possibilities for our nation as China invests. If we research and develop and are at the forefront, the cutting edge of this technology, imagine the wealth that could be generated. If we are there as a clean energy nation ourselves, able to export technologies and knowledge to a giant like China, imagine the wealth.

Of course, the member for Indi sits there and shakes her head because she is not interested in the facts and she is not interested in imagining the possibilities of the future. Let me say to the member for Indi: our future as a nation will be made by being a cleaner energy economy. We cannot afford to be left behind as giants like China and the US and the countries of Europe change and move. We cannot afford to be left behind. Prime Minister Howard understood this; Treasurer Peter Costello understood this.

The member who asked the question campaigned in the 2007 election on the introduction of an emissions trading scheme. She was re-elected in this parliament in 2007 on the introduction of an emissions trading scheme. I say to the members of the Liberal Party who are truly ashamed of this fear campaign, who are truly ashamed of how low the Liberal Party has fallen under this Leader of the Opposition: it is time for them to assert themselves and say unambiguously that they believe in the climate change science—

Mr Simpkins —Let’s have an election and decide it.

The SPEAKER —The member for Cowan is now warned!

Ms GILLARD —they believe in pricing carbon, they believe in what Prime Minister Howard promised in 2007 and they are prepared to work with the government in the national interest to create that clean energy economy of the future and get this done.