Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for McEwen for his question. The government is endeavouring to implement its election commitment to give farmers and landholders access to carbon markets. Under the carbon farming initiative, which is currently before the House, farmers and landholders and foresters have the opportunity to develop projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars to store and reduce carbon in our landscape. This is very important legislation that has been welcomed in particular by the National Farmers Federation for the reasons that I have outlined.

It is very surprising therefore that the coalition yesterday signalled that it wants to delay the bill. This is despite the fact that the Manager of Opposition Business, the member for Flinders, has been understandably enthusiastic about the carbon farming initiative and has been trying to reassure stakeholders that he would deliver the support of the coalition for this initiative. However, it is now clear that that reassurance cannot be delivered on and that there is division on that side of politics about this important issue.

Mr Hunt interjecting—

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