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 it refers to his previous answer, where he said that the emissions trading report he was going to receive tomorrow would contain a long-term carbon target—

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

No, I didn’t say that.

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

‘Words to that effect’?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Minister for Foreign Affairs!

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr McGauran interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister for agriculture!

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition has the call. The Leader of the Opposition will be heard. I call the Leader of the Opposition.

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

that will, of necessity, of itself contain a long-term target of some kind. Is the Prime Minister aware that the Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change, made up of leading Australian companies, including BP, the Insurance Australia Group and Westpac, has stated, ‘Achieving a 60 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from year 2000 levels by 2050 is possible while maintaining strong economic growth’? Prime Minister, is the business roundtable, containing such prominent Australian companies as BP, the Insurance Australia Group and Westpac, and international companies, wrong on climate change?

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

I think we have already corrected the claim made by the Leader of the Opposition. His words to that effect were, once again, words not to that effect. What I said was that we will move towards an emissions trading system that will of necessity involve a long-term target of some kind. I did not indicate that the report was going to name a target. As to the business roundtable, of course it contains representatives of a number of reputable Australian and foreign companies. I am interested in their views, but I think the Leader of the Opposition ought to read the report very carefully tomorrow. I think he will be informed and advised by it.