Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1) Clause 2, page 1 (line 9) to page 2 (line 6), omit subclauses (1) and (2), substitute:

This Act commences, or is taken to have commenced, on 30 June 2011.

In moving the amendment to this bill, the coalition is simply trying to give business and industry some certainty. I know those who sit opposite think certainty is delivered by imposing a tax, and they have just imposed a tax on some 800,000 vehicles, most of which are owned by families. The purpose of this amendment is to ensure that on 30 June 2011 the production assistance measures to the biodiesel industry—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Would honourable members cease milling around in the chamber. Either leave the chamber or resume your respective seats.

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is because we cannot trust the government to even cross the road without falling over that we move this amendment. We need to ensure that the arrangements to support the biodiesel industry are continued without a break. There is no guarantee that this government can deliver this legislation in the Senate, and on that basis we move this amendment.

This amendment is to supply certainty to the biodiesel industry, unlike what has just been delivered to the LPG, CNG industry, which is a new tax. Because those who sit opposite—

Honourable members interjecting—

Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is too much audible conversation. As the Deputy Speaker, I cannot hear the honourable member for Groom. All members will remain silent.

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker, I once said in this House that it is very difficult to hear yourself think, but I will not say that again. Those who sit opposite may think this is a jovial matter but the reality is that the biodiesel industry in Australia in particular has struggled under cost impediments, many of which are going to be accentuated when this government introduces a carbon tax. What we hope to do with this amendment is to give the industry some certainty at a time when industries Australia-wide face constant increases in their costs and constant increases in their taxes. For the biodiesel industry, these sorts of disruptions cannot be tolerated.

Had the government been responsible, they would not have linked these four bills together and tried to blackmail those people who did not want to introduce a tax on families. What they did was to link the four bills so that, if all four do not pass, royal assent is not granted. We do not gamble with people's lives. We do not gamble with their livelihoods.

Mr Shorten interjecting—

I do not think the minister opposite should ever use the word 'cliche' in the same sentence. The reality is that the only way to deliver the certainty that the biodiesel industry needs is to support this amendment so that, if the government in its usual inept style is unable to guarantee the passage of this legislation and into royal assent by 30 June—which I remind the minister is only a few weeks away—the biodiesel industry will not be wrecked like every other industry that the government touches. They have the reverse Midas touch. We are going to try and help them actually get something right for a change.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On consideration of the opposition's amendment I should report to the House the government's attitude is to reject the amendment. The purpose of the opposition's amendment is to split the four bills of the alternative fuels package. What the opposition seek to do is to address the unintended consequences that they put into place when they were in government. If we do not pass this law there will be overtaxation of biofuels—but that was their idea and, as usual, it has been left to Labor to clean up the coalition mess. They have had enough time to fix the mistake that they put into law. The reality is that the member for Groom is channelling his inner U-boat commander, and he wants to torpedo the budget bottom line. This is despite the fact that the opposition know this is good policy. I will not take up too much of the House's time but I could read to them press release after press release of Peter Costello and John Howard, but I will not. So the government does not support this opportunistic amendment.

Question put:

That the amendment (Mr Macfarlane's) be agreed to.

The House divided. [21.25]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question negatived.

Bill agreed to.