Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank the minister for his answer and ask a supplementary question. Minister, the Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy said last month that on current programs Australia will need to find greenhouse cuts of six million tonnes every year to 2010 just to meet our target. Minister, what exactly is the government’s plan to cut that 18 million tonnes of CO₂ over the next three years? Can the minister explain why the Prime Minister imagines a voluntary carbon trading system will cut emissions of this order? Why does he think that businesses will take on a cost when their competitors do not have to? Isn’t it the case that businesses need clear and mandated price signals—in other words, a carbon levy and emissions trading? Doesn’t the minister know that it takes years to plan and construct low- and zero-emission power generation? Just what is the plan to achieve these cuts and to deal with the billions of tonnes that will need to be cut by 2050?