Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to speak on this debate, because no other issue singly contrasts the approach of this side to that side. On this side, we accept the science of climate change, in contrast to the deniers on the other side. On this side of the chamber, we respect the ability of the market to provide efficient solutions, unlike the government dictators on the other side of the chamber. On this side of the chamber, we are part of an international community united in taking action on climate change; those on the other side seem interested in only becoming international pariahs on this particular issue.

The truth is that climate change is occurring and is man-made; yet, on the other side, the coalition is made up of two groups: climate change deniers and climate change populists who would rather have a short-term electoral advantage than confront this issue. The truth is that the world is taking action. By 2016, over 3 billion people will live in economies, nations and provinces where there is an emissions trading scheme in place. The truth is that, if we do not take action, we will face economic action against us. The WTO has already flagged the possibility of tariffs being levied against countries that do not take action on climate change. We are the highest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the developed world. In absolute emissions, we are well in the top 15. If you think that we can go to international conferences on trade or other economic issues and stand there without taking effective action on climate change, we are kidding ourselves. We have a responsibility to act. It is an economic responsibility, because if we do not take action, we will face retaliatory tariffs in the near future. The truth is that the best way of taking action is a market mechanism. A market mechanism will deliver the results we need in placing a hard cap on pollution.

The truth—and it is a truth that those on the other side do not accept because they do not like facts—is that, since the carbon price began, well over 150,000 jobs have been added to the economy, economic growth has been relatively strong, we have seen a modest cost-of-living impact and, at the same time, it has been working to reduce carbon pollution. We have seen a 10 per cent cut in emissions from the National Electricity Market, a 17-million-tonne reduction in carbon pollution from electricity generators. That is the equivalent of taking almost five million cars off the road—a massive impact. On the government's own figures, released by the Department of the Environment earlier this year, emissions in our economy are 40 million tonnes less now than they would otherwise have been because of the operation of the carbon price. It is working.

The carbon tax was accompanied by a very progressive series of compensation measures through changes to the income tax thresholds which meant that over a million people were freed up from putting in a tax return ever again. Despite the motion's wording, small businesses were compensated. As part of this package, we funded a $6,500 instant asset write-off vehicle for small businesses. Many small businesses in my electorate were looking forward to accessing that to make much-needed investments.

The truth is that the best way we can move forward on the environment is by shifting to an internationally linked emissions trading scheme, which is what the amendments that Labor will put forward in the substantive debate when it comes up will address. The truth is that that is the best way forward, not the horribly inefficient command-and-control Direct Action policy those on the other side spout, with the subsidies-for-polluters scheme that they have yet to find one single economist to support, a scheme of Soviet command and control that would do Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin very proud.

The truth is that this is an issue of intergenerational equity. The truth is that this is about leaving the environment and the economy in a better place than we found them. Those on this side are very proud to stand up for this generation and future generations, to stand up for the environment and to stand up for the economy. Those who stick their heads in the sand and think that we can do nothing on this issue or have some token fig leaf of a policy are kidding themselves. We owe it to future generations of this country to take concrete action, to begin the transformation to decarbonise our economy not just for the environment's sake and not just so we can have a Great Barrier Reef and an effective Murray-Darling River system but so we can have an economy that can compete in the 21st century. The economies that will succeed in the next century will be those that decouple carbon pollution from their economic growth and invent and commercialise low-carbon technologies. Those on the other side stand for none of that. (Time expired)

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