Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am sorry to disappoint the honourable senator but we will certainly be opposing this motion. It is premature to be undertaking a detailed cost-benefit assessment of a feed-in tariff before key emissions trading scheme design features are finalised—and I would have thought the honourable senator would be aware of that. The Prime Minister has announced that Australia will move towards a domestic emissions trading system beginning from no later than 2012. The scheme will be national in scope and as comprehensive as practicable. It will be designed to take account of global developments and to preserve the competitiveness of our trade exposed, emissions-intensive industries. A long-term aspirational goal for reducing carbon emissions will be set next year, but we will need to assess very carefully with detailed economic modelling the impact any target will have on Australia’s economy and Australian families.

This is always the difficulty with the Australian Greens. In their almost hysterical paranoia to pursue single-issue matters without looking at them in a global and national sense, they continue to come into this chamber with a narrow focus that does not take into account the long-term aspirations and requirements of the wider Australian community. The Leader of the Greens yesterday embarked on an appalling personal attack on someone who has made a significant commitment to the community. For Senator Brown to engage in that activity yesterday was an utter disgrace. Senator Brown, you used coward’s castle yesterday to attack a man of integrity, and I am afraid that the best description for you in that regard is ‘spineless’. You are a spineless individual who uses coward’s castle to attack the integrity of good people.

There is no reason why we should pay higher energy—