Brett Raguse (Forde, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure today to rise to speak to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and related legislation. Like speakers before me, certainly on our side of the House, it gives me great encouragement that we really do understand the need to progress something along the lines of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. We went to the last election, in fact, with the resolve that we would act on climate change—and we were given that mandate. Climate change is one of the greatest economic, social and environmental challenges of our time. Climate change is real and is having an impact. The government is committed to tackling the climate change challenge through policy and programs that are contemporary and informed by the latest science and policy developments. The government is also working with industry, business and the community to implement a response and policy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change impacts.

The government went to the last election outlining our agenda for climate change, including the introduction of a carbon emissions trading scheme. I remember well that the now opposition were also planning to implement an emissions trading scheme. What we see now is an opposition divided. They are divided into two groups: the climate change believers and the climate change sceptics. It gives me some encouragement that there are those on the other side of the House who do believe in the way forward and in what we are doing as a government. However, as the coalition they are certainly, on every occasion, talking the need for this legislation down and saying that it should be put on the backburner until they have more information.

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