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

First, in relation to the 2010 start date, the government has been absolutely clear about our views on that. They are consistent with those taken to the Australian electorate prior to the election. I hope that those opposite, when the bill is presented to the parliament subsequent to the white paper, will recall that this in fact was very clearly something the Australian people were aware of prior to the last election.

In relation to the modelling, as I have previously indicated, the government, in addition to the economic modelling being provided through the Garnaut report, is undertaking one of the largest modelling exercises in the nation’s history in order to very carefully and methodically work our way through these issues prior to the development of the white paper. We are approaching this carefully and methodically. But we are absolutely clear that, as Professor Garnaut reminded us recently in his report, the costs for this country of failing to act on climate change are greater— (Time expired)