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

I thank the member for Reid for his question. It is particularly pertinent because yesterday, on behalf of the government, I introduced legislation that will link Australia's carbon price mechanism to the European Union emissions trading scheme, which is the largest carbon market in the world and has been in place since 2005.

The fact of the matter is that by linking with the European Union Australia's carbon price will be the same as that which obtains in 30 other countries with a combined population of 530 million people. Little wonder that the Leader of the Opposition turns his back, because that is a message he does not want to hear. He has deceived people in this country about this issue. Thirty other countries will have the same carbon price, including the United Kingdom, Germany and France—and in combination those countries represent our second largest trading partner, and they will have the same carbon price. This gives the lie—

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