Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I will return to the question, Mr President. This is a whole-of-economy reform and there is a whole-of-government response. We are absolutely upfront about the fact that ministers from a range of portfolios will be consulting their sectors about the issues in relation to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. Senator Carr will be consulting people within his portfolio. I know Minister Albanese is consulting the transport sector. Certainly I have been consulting widely, and Minister Ferguson, as a relevant minister, is also consulting with the sectors with which he deals. That is perfectly normal government business, Senator Brown.

I want to make it very clear that those of us on this side do understand that it requires extensive consultation with business in order to ensure we get the balance right. We also will continue to talk to environmental groups, as I have done, and to other members of the community about this important issue. This is a very substantial economic reform, it is a very substantial environmental reform and it is a complex reform. It is extremely important that we take a methodical approach to considering the options before government. As you know, these are matters on which we have canvassed an extensive amount of detail for the green paper and it is only appropriate that ministers across a range of portfolios consult closely with both business and members of the community about their views on this issue.