QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Mr BOWEN (McMahon—Minister for Climate Change and Energy) (14:12): I thank the honourable member for the question, but I can assure the honourable member that the— Mr McCormack interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Riverina will cease interjecting. The member has asked a question.

Mr BOWEN: If the member for Riverina is helping, I've had enough help from him for the moment. I can assure the honourable member that the Pacific family and the Albanese government are working together in the closest possible fashion. The Pacific Islands Forum in Palau two weeks ago was one in which the Prime Minister was working with his counterparts in the closest possible fashion, and the Palau declaration made clear that the Pacific leaders and the Pacific family regard climate change as the single biggest threat to their livelihoods and security, and we agree.

We agree wholeheartedly. That's why Australia is taking such action as we are domestically to see the rollout of renewable energy across our country, having passed 50 per cent in the last quarter of last year, and every quarter since has exceeded the record for the relevant quarter. That's a good thing, but we've got a lot more work to do.

We're also working closely with the Pacific family internationally. I recognise my friend Dr Talia, the climate change minister of Tuvalu, who I'll be spending time with in the next few weeks, as the Prime Minister will be, to elevate the issues of the Pacific on the global stage. That's a good thing, which we certainly on this side of the House think is very important.

I know the crossbench does as well. I wish it were a more unanimous view across the parliament that that was a good thing. But we will continue to work so closely with the Pacific because it is such a vital issue.

But I say this to the honourable member: the way that you build renewable energy is the pathway for transition. You've got to build the new energy before you replace the old energy. That's what we're doing domestically, and it's a conversation that we're involved in, in a very serious way, internationally as well.