Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Will the minister update the House on the progress of the government's carbon farming initiatives? How have these reforms been received and what is the government's response?

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

I thank the member for McEwen for his question. The government is endeavouring to implement its election commitment to give farmers and landholders access to carbon markets. Under the carbon farming initiative, which is currently before the House, farmers and landholders and foresters have the opportunity to develop projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars to store and reduce carbon in our landscape. This is very important legislation that has been welcomed in particular by the National Farmers Federation for the reasons that I have outlined.

It is very surprising therefore that the coalition yesterday signalled that it wants to delay the bill. This is despite the fact that the Manager of Opposition Business, the member for Flinders, has been understandably enthusiastic about the carbon farming initiative and has been trying to reassure stakeholders that he would deliver the support of the coalition for this initiative. However, it is now clear that that reassurance cannot be delivered on and that there is division on that side of politics about this important issue.

Mr Hunt interjecting—

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

The member for Flinders is warned.

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

They simply cannot get their act together over something that would provide a revenue stream for farmers and assist in tackling climate change. Notwithstanding the support of the NFF and the potential benefits to farmers, the Leader of the Nationals told the House yesterday that the Carbon Farming Initiative was 'just another tree planting scheme.' He then widely briefed the media that the Nationals did not support the Carbon Farming Initiative. If the Nationals leader had bothered to have a look he would have found out that the Carbon Farming Initiative will not lead to trees usurping prime agricultural land, because the government has built significant safeguards into the legislation to prevent that from occurring. Those safeguards have been the subject of extensive consultation with the stakeholders.

Mr Abbott interjecting—

I hear the Leader of the Opposition raising the issue of the details. The government has already begun to release the methodologies to provide guidance to project development and has provided the details of eligible and ineligible project activities relevant to land use. Instead of delaying a positive initiative for farmers, the coalition would be better off having a look at the effect of their own subsidies-for-polluters policy because that is where a deep problem lies.

The Leader of the Opposition has been running around with his scare campaign saying that we can deal with climate change by planting trees everywhere. I am surprised that the Nationals leader has not picked this up. To meet their current emissions reduction target under their own subsidies-for-polluters policy, the coalition would need to plant trees on an area larger than the entire crop land of this country. I suggest that if the Nationals are concerned about the use of prime agricultural land they should have a little look at the subsidies-for-polluters policy.

They are a joke on these areas of policy. They are divided on all the big issues. They are run by climate science deniers. They cannot get their act together even on an issue that would be of significant benefit to the farmers of this country. Get your act together.

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

I remind the minister to refer his remarks through the chair. I will try to get my act together.