Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Treasurer.

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Those on my right will come to order!

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think he would like to hear the question, Mr Speaker. I refer the Acting Treasurer to the politically rushed and flawed design of the government’s emissions trading scheme. What will be the increase in global greenhouse gas emissions if, as has been reported, Nyrstar closes its Port Pirie and Hobart smelters and Visy shuts down its two paper recycling plants in Melbourne and Sydney and these facilities move to China? Where are the 3½ thousand Australians expected to find new jobs?

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is clear the Liberal Party is still unable to make up its mind on whether it thinks climate change is real or not.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The question has been asked. The minister is responding.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Only a couple of days ago in one of his lesser moments, while he was busily out there accusing the Treasury secretary of cooking the books, the member for Goldstein was also trailing his well-established ‘capitalesque sceptic’ credentials on radio and indicating that he does not share the views of the Leader of the Opposition—or at least on what the Leader of the Opposition says will occur. You may recall that the Minister for Resources and Energy responded to a question briefly, and I can only reiterate the point that he made. That is: in contrast to the previous government, which did nothing for 10 years about the climate change challenge, this government is committed to dealing with climate change, both by cooperation in international forums and by establishing a carbon pollution reduction scheme that is designed to ensure that Australia can gradually diminish its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and, in doing so, structure the scheme in such a way as to take into account the sectoral needs of specific parts of the economy that are particularly exposed, such as emission intensive trade exposed industries.

The member for Goldstein would be aware that Professor Garnaut reported on and proposed a particular structure to deal with this specific problem—

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and COAG and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on Emissions Trading Design) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Robb interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Goldstein has asked his question.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and that the government has established a green paper process, which is part of the way through, involving discussions with people from a variety of industries who do have concerns of this kind. I have been involved in many of these discussions with major companies, including as recently as this morning, about their views as to the structure of the scheme. One of the biggest companies in Australia with particular points of view to put met with me about these issues, and one of the things they said was: ‘Don’t delay. Yes, there are issues to be debated. Yes, there is a good process through which these matters can be debated in public, courtesy of the green paper process and Professor Garnaut’s report. But do not delay; proceed to make decisions and ensure that Australia can get on with tackling climate change and playing a leadership role in the world because we cannot afford to keep ignoring this problem.’ We as a nation cannot afford to continue to ignore the problem as the former Howard government did—with the Leader of the Opposition as minister for the environment—for 10 years. Australia can no longer afford to be run by climate change sceptics.