House debates

Thursday, 26 June 2014

Bills

Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013; Consideration in Detail

5:56 pm

Photo of Mark ButlerMark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | | Hansard source

I confirm that I have sought to amend the amendments that we are seeking to move in accordance with your ruling in relation to standing order 179. I move:

(1) Title, page 1 (line 1), omit "repeal", substitute "amend".

(2) Clause 2, page 1 (line 7) to page 2 (line 6), omit the clause, substitute:

2 Commencement

  This Act commences on the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(3) Schedule 1, page 4 (line 1) to page 70 (line 21), omit the Schedule, substitute:

Schedule 1—Amendments

Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Act 2011

1 Subsection 66F(2) (paragraph (b) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Omit "31 July 2014", substitute "31 October 2014".

2 Subsection 66F(2) (paragraph (c) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Repeal the paragraph.

3 Subsection 66F(4) (paragraph (b) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Omit "31 July 2014", substitute "31 October 2014".

4 Subsection 66F(4) (paragraph (c) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Repeal the paragraph.

Clean Energy Act 2011

5 Section 4

  Omit ", 1 July 2013 and 1 July 2014", substitute "and 1 July 2013".

6 Section 4

  Before "1 July 2015", insert "1 July 2014,".

7 Section 5 (definition of fixed charge year )

  Repeal the definition, substitute:

  fixed charge year means:

     (a) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2012; or

     (b) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2013.

  For the purposes of paragraph (b), the months of July, August and September 2014 are taken to be part of the financial year beginning on 1 July 2013.

8 Section 5 (definition of flexible charge year )

  Repeal the definition, substitute:

  flexible charge year means:

     (a) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2014; or

     (b) a later eligible financial year.

  For the purposes of paragraph (a), the months of October, November and December 2014, and January, February, March, April, May and June 2015, are taken to be the financial year beginning on 1 July 2014.

9 After paragraph 14(2)(b)

Insert:

  (ba) if the regulations declare the carbon pollution cap, and the carbon pollution cap number, for the flexible charge year beginning on 1 July 2014—must have regard to any report that:

     (i) was given to the Minister by the Climate Change Authority under section 60 of the Climate Change Authority Act 2011; and

     (ii) dealt with the carbon pollution cap for that year; and

10 At the end of subsection 15(1)

  Add "(other than regulations that declare the carbon pollution cap, and the carbon pollution cap number, for the flexible charge year beginning on 1 July 2014)".

11 After section 15

  Insert:

15A When regulations must be tabled—2014 -15 flexible charge year

   Scope

  (1) This section applies to regulations that declare the carbon pollution cap, and the carbon pollution cap number, for the flexible charge year beginning on 1 July 2014.

When regulations must be tabled

  (2) The Minister must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the regulations are tabled in each House of the Parliament under section 38 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 not later than 31 August 2014.

  (3) The regulations must not be made, or tabled in a House of the Parliament, after 31 August 2014.

Reasons must be tabled

  (4) If, on a particular day (the tabling day), a copy of the regulations is tabled in a House of the Parliament under section 38 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, the Minister must:

     (a) cause to be tabled in that House a written statement setting out the Minister's reasons for making the recommendation to the Governor-General about the regulations; and

     (b) do so on, or as soon as practicable after, the tabling day.

12 Section 16 (at the end of the heading)

  Add "—later flexible charge years".

13 Subsections 16(1) and (2)

  Omit "31 May 2014", substitute "30 November 2014".

14 Subsection 16(3)

  Omit "of May that is 14 months before the start of a particular flexible charge year beginning on or after 1 July 2016, no regulations made for the purposes of section 14", substitute "of November that is 8 months before the start of a particular flexible charge year beginning on or after 1 July 2016, no regulations to which section 15 applies".

15 Subsection 16(3)

  Omit "that May", substitute "that November".

16 Subsection 16(4)

  Omit "the May", substitute "the November".

17 Section 17 (heading)

  Omit "2015-16", substitute "2014-15".

18 Subsection 17(1)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

19 Subsection 17(2) (formula)

  Repeal the formula, substitute:

20 Subsection 18(1)

  Omit "1 July 2016", substitute "1 July 2015".

21 Section 93

  Before "1 July 2015", insert "1 July 2014,".

22 Subsection 100(1)

  After "following table", insert "(other than an exempt item)".

23 Subsection 100(1) (table items 5 and 6)

  Repeal the items.

24 Subsection 100(1) (table items 7, 8 and 9)

Repeal the items, substitute:

25 Subsection 100(1) (note)

  Omit "Note", substitute "Note 1".

26 At the end of subsection 100(1) (after the note)

  Add:

     Note 2: For exempt item, see subsections (13A), (13B) and (13C).

27 Subsection 100(2)

  Omit "item 7, 8 or 9", substitute "item 7, 8, 9 or 10".

28 Subsection 100(3) (heading)

  Omit "items1, 3 and 5", substitute "items1 and 3".

29 Subsection 100(3)

  Omit "item 1, 3 or 5", substitute "item 1 or 3".

30 Subsection 100(4) (heading)

  Omit "6, 7, 8 and 9", substitute "7, 8, 9 and 10".

31 Subsection 100(4)

  Omit "item 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 or 9", substitute "item 2, 4, 7, 8, 9 or 10".

32 Subsection 100(6)

  After "subsection (1)", insert "(other than an exempt item)".

33 At the end of subsection 100(6)

  Add:

Note: For exempt item, see subsections (13A), (13B) and (13C).

34 Before paragraph 100(9)(a)

  Insert:

  (aa) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2014;

35 After subsection 100(13)

  Insert:

Exempt item

  (13A) The regulations may declare that item 8 of the table in subsection (1) is an exempt item for the purposes of this section.

  (13B) The regulations may declare that item 9 of the table in subsection (1) is an exempt item for the purposes of this section.

  (13C) The regulations may declare that item 10 of the table in subsection (1) is an exempt item for the purposes of this section.

36 Subsection 100(14)

  Omit "31 May 2014", substitute "31 August 2014".

37 Subsection 100(15)

  Repeal the subsection.

38 Before subsection 101(1A)

  Insert:

     (1AA) Subsection (1) does not apply to carbon units with the vintage year beginning on 1 July 2014 that are issued as a result of auctions that are conducted by the Regulator during the financial year beginning on 1 July 2013.

     (1AB) The Regulator must ensure that not more than 40 million carbon units with the vintage year beginning on 1 July 2014 are issued as a result of auctions that were conducted by the Regulator during the financial year beginning on 1 July 2013 if there are no regulations in effect that declare the carbon pollution cap, and the carbon pollution cap number, for the vintage year.

39 At the end of subsection 111(3)

  Add "However, for the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2014, the charge for the issue of a carbon unit may not be more than $25.40.".

40 Subsection 121

  Omit "first 5 flexible charge years", substitute "first 6 flexible charge years".

41 Subsection 123A(3)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

42 Subparagraph 123A(6)(a)(i)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

43 Subparagraphs 123A(6)(b)(i) and (ii)

  Repeal the subparagraphs, substitute:

     (i) if the eligible financial year begins on 1 July 2014—6.25%; or

     (ii) if the eligible financial year begins on 1 July 2015, 1 July 2016, 1 July 2017, 1 July 2018 or 1 July 2019—12.5%; or

     (iii) if the eligible financial year begins on or after 1 July 2020, and the regulations do not specify a percentage for that year—12.5%; or

     (iv) if the eligible financial year begins on or after 1 July 2020, and the regulations specify a percentage for that year—that percentage; and

44 Subsection 123A(7)

  Omit "(6)(b)(ii)", substitute "(6)(b)(iv)".

45 Subparagraphs 133(7)(a)(i) and (7A)(a)(i)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

46 Subparagraph 133(7A)(a)(ii)

  Omit "4", substitute "5".

47 Subparagraph 133(7E)(a)(i)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

48 Subparagraph 133(7E)(a)(ii)

  Omit "4", substitute "5".

49 Subparagraph 133(7F)(a)(i)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

50 Section 160

  Omit "each of the next 3 financial years", substitute "the financial year beginning on 1 July 2014".

51 Subsection 161(2)

  Omit all the words from and including "On each" to and including "the following formula", substitute "On 1 September in the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2013, the Regulator must issue a number of free carbon units equal to the number worked out using the following formula".

52 Subsection 161(3) (formula)

  Repeal the formula, substitute:

53 Subsection 196(1AA) (heading)

  Omit "11 months", substitute "8 months".

54 Subsection 196(1AA) (definition of number of units issued as the result of auctions )

  Omit "11-month period", substitute "8-month period".

55 Subsection 196(1AA) (definition of total auction proceeds )

  Omit "11-month period", substitute "8-month period".

56 Paragraph 196(1)(a)

  Omit "May 2016", substitute "May 2015".

57 Paragraph 196(2)(a)

  Omit "November 2015", substitute "November 2014".

58 Paragraph 196(3)(a)

  Omit "1 July 2015", substitute "1 July 2014".

59 Subsection 196A(18) (paragraph (c) of the definition of designated 6 -month period )

  Omit "November 2015", substitute "November 2014".

60 Subsection 212(2) (paragraph (b) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Omit "31 July 2014", substitute "31 October 2014".

61 Subsection 212(2) (paragraph (c) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Repeal the paragraph.

62 Subsection 212(3) (paragraph (b) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Omit "31 July 2014", substitute "31 October 2014".

63 Subsection 212(3) (paragraph (c) of the definition of prescribed amount for the financial year in which the compliance deadline occurs )

  Repeal the paragraph.

64 Subsection 289(8)

  Repeal the subsection, substitute:

Report

(8) The report of the first review must set out recommendations relating to the level of carbon pollution caps for each of the following flexible charge years:

  (a) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2015;

  (b) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2016;

  (c) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2017;

  (d) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2018;

  (e) the eligible financial year beginning on 1 July 2019.

(4) Schedules 2 to 5, page 71 (line 1) to page 94 (line 4), omit the Schedules.

Photo of Greg HuntGreg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | | Hansard source

This is a carbon tax in drag. What they have done is reintroduce the carbon tax. They put a different name on it. They put a different hat on it and, at the end of the day, you can call it what you want: it is still a carbon tax. Whatever changes you want to make, Mate, it is still a carbon tax. We do not support it. We are not going to vote for it. We are going to abolish it. There are real bills that will actually abolish this carbon tax.

I want to thank the people who drafted these bills: Simon Writer from the department and his team that have done a magnificent job; Keith Byles and his team from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel; the magnificent Alex Caroly and team from my office.

Let's vote these amendments down, vote the bill through and send this bill to abolish the carbon tax to the Senate.

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the amendments be agreed to.