QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr BOWEN (McMahon—Minister for Climate Change and Energy) (14:32): I thank the honourable member for the question, and I particularly appreciate the notice the opposition gave on the front page of the Australian today, which says: The Coalition on Monday will launch a parliamentary attack on Labor's marquee scheme … I thought it was questions without notice, Mr Speaker, but there you go.
You learn something every day. I guess, given it's the first time the opposition has asked me a question since April, it's a big deal and you have to flag it on the front page of the national broadsheet. It's a big day for the opposition.
It is the case, in keeping with longstanding practice when the government is running an auction, that those auction results are commercial in confidence. That was the result. For example, when the then minister for energy ran the UNGI scheme, if he had released the documents that showed how many bids had been received, it would have been clear there had been none, because no kilowatts were created.
That would have been a suboptimal result. When you are operating an auction, what you are doing is calling on people to put forward bids. If you reveal the outcome of those decisions, you're undermining the position of the taxpayer.
The honourable gentleman criticises the fact that there was community benefit in projects supported by the Capacity Investment Scheme. That is a fundamental difference of approach, because I happen to think that's a good thing. I happen to think that, if developers of renewable energy projects in regional Australia provide bill relief and rebates to people in regional Australia, I think that's a good thing.
The SPEAKER: The minister was asked a question involving the Capacity Investment Scheme. He was just referencing the Capacity Investment Scheme and funding that he was asked about, so it's going to be very difficult to take the point of order on relevance. I think everyone was in the room when he heard him say that.
The manager on a point of order. Mr Tehan: It goes to relevance. How much have you handed to foreign investors under the Capacity Investment Scheme?
That was the question. It was a very specific question. You haven't attempted to answer it.
The SPEAKER: There was a very long question, and it wasn't just that; there were other things in the question. Everyone heard the question. As I said, the minister was referring to the Capacity Investment Scheme.
He was talking about the funding. I appreciate you would like a yes or no answer. I can't deliver that— Mr Tehan interjecting— The SPEAKER: Sorry, a figure.
I appreciate the opposition would like a figure. But, as they know, I can't compel— Mr Taylor interjecting— The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting. I can't compel the minister to do that under the standing orders.
What I can compel him to do is be directly relevant. As I indicated to the House, he is being directly relevant around the question he was asked, and I'll ask him to continue. Mr BOWEN: I certainly will be, because the honourable member referred to community benefits and complained that the community was receiving benefits from these projects.
Now, I can confirm that the same FOI document the coalition received confirmed that there were 65 projects announced that had at that point committed to $35.5 billion in Australian and New Zealand local content, including $1.1 billion in local steel. I think that's a good thing. Those opposite think it's a bad thing.
And I also make no apologies for some First Nations communities receiving benefits from these programs, including the program in Wellington, which has negotiated five per cent equity for local First Nations people—five per cent ownership—which I don't think is a bad thing. I think it's a good thing, and people on this side of the House are proud of it.