Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer the minister to reports that the Chinese government has told the European Union that it will not pay a carbon levy on emissions from Chinese airlines flying to Europe. What representations has the minister made to ensure that Australian airlines are also exempt from payment of the EU carbon levy?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for her question. This EU policy has been around for some time. The same issue is one in which I, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Minister for Trade and other ministers of the government have robustly engaged the Europeans on. We will continue to make those representations. We are acutely mindful of the dependency of this country and its tourism industry on long haul civil aviation. We will be out there defending the Australian national interest.