Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister recall his Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources saying just six months ago, ‘I am a sceptic of the connection between emissions and climate change?’ Does the Prime Minister support this statement?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do recall that, and I refer the Leader of the Opposition to the correction I made to the answer I gave yesterday. I acknowledge again to this House that I mistook the question asked yesterday by the Leader of the Opposition. I wrongly thought—and I do not mind saying I am wrong when I am wrong, and I have no grounds for complaining about him—he was asking me about the connection between drought and climate change, where I do believe the jury is out. I have to say that I think the evidence of the connection to which he referred is very strong. That is my view, that is what I said yesterday and I repeat it today.

Stuart Henry (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. What is the purpose of the issues paper on emissions trading released earlier today?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hasluck for his question. Can I say very directly that the purpose of this paper is to promote an intelligent debate on the issues of what form an international emissions trading system might take, how that would impact on Australia, what form a national emissions trading system in this country might take and the circumstances in which it might be introduced. I want to make it clear that the formation of this group, which brings together senior members of the federal bureaucracy as well as senior business figures, is a very intelligent and sensible way of trying to get the right outcome in relation to the environment. In joining the business community and the government, I have very much had in mind the dictum of the member for Batman, whom I find a ceaseless source of encouragement and inspiration on this subject, when he said:

It’s time to abandon the political correctness espoused by the green movement. Let’s be real: without getting business on board we cannot achieve anything.

I happen to agree with that. I think the most intelligent way of looking at an emissions trading system either here or internationally is in fact to join the business community to the process, and that is exactly what we have done.

I do make it clear again that we have no intention of introducing an emissions trading scheme which damages Australia’s international competitiveness. We are not going to sacrifice the jobs of coalminers in pursuit of some kind of knee-jerk reaction. We need a measured, sensible, consistent and intelligent reaction to the problem of climate change. Of course, in determining whether a national system might cause damage to our international competitiveness, we must necessarily pay regard to the responses of other nations to the issue of emissions trading.

I think all members of the House would recognise that the people on this group do represent those business interests that would be very directly affected by the introduction of an emissions trading system. I am very grateful to those people for joining it, and I commend the issues paper to all members who are interested in a measured response that protects the jobs of Australians and looks after the interests of the Australian economy.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is again to the Prime Minister and refers to his answer to the previous question. Did the Prime Minister receive government reports on emissions trading in March 1999, June 1999, October 1999 and December 1999? Did the government say no to each of these reports and then disband the emissions trading team in the Australian Greenhouse Office? Given that the Prime Minister has ignored all the climate change warning bells in the past, why should Australians believe him on climate change for the future?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason why I believe the Australian people will believe me is that I have a track record of putting the jobs of Australians ahead of anything else, and that is what I will continue to do. Quite frankly, I wonder at the view taken by many on the other side—not all; not the member for Batman or the member for Hunter, who also has a very distinguished record in relation to these matters. The member for Hunter has been astute enough to point out that if you introduce a national emissions trading system, you have to abandon the MRETs. I wonder if that is a view shared by the member for Kingsford Smith. I wonder if it is a view shared by the Leader of the Opposition.

Back when the energy white paper was introduced, we looked at whether we would increase the MRETs. We decided against that because we thought it was better to invest in low emission technology. The investment in that low emission technology has led not only to an investment in clean coal technology but also to an investment near Mildura, Victoria, which represents the largest investment in solar energy anywhere in the world, and that is a product of the policies of this government. I can say to the Leader of the Opposition that we will put the jobs of Australians ahead of ideology in responding to this issue.