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

If Senator Abetz has the opportunity to consider the Treasury modelling he will see that that modelling does indeed look at the potential effect on different sectors of the Australian economy of the introduction of a carbon price. I invite his consideration of that modelling.

I make the point that, unlike those opposite, we are committed not only to supporting today’s jobs but to building the jobs of tomorrow and to building the opportunities for Australia tomorrow. We are focused on the fact that tackling climate change is important and also on the fact that there are economic opportunities for this nation as we move to a low-pollution economy.

Those opposite may want to take the view that they should simply oppose what the government does, and we know that Senator Abetz’s position on the issue of climate change is that he does not believe this is real. To those opposite I say that this remains a present and future challenge for this nation and the measure of how people will judge them will be whether they bring to this debate a degree of economic responsibility that understands the economic challenge of climate change as well as the opportunities. For example, we know that the Treasury modelling has said that the renewable sector will grow by about 30 times out to 2050, which will create jobs. We also know that United Nations figures estimate that the environmental products and services sector is projected to double from $1.3 trillion per annum to $2.74 trillion by 2020. Those opposite may want to say that we in Australia ought not to act on climate change—that we ought to forego the opportunity to be part of the millions of dollars of investment that will be there as the world moves to a carbon constraint—but if they do that they will simply confirm that they are still the men and women of the past and they will confirm that the 12 years of inaction by their government, where opportunities did go offshore to nations which were prepared to act on climate change, will be continued. They will confirm that they have nothing more to say on this issue and that they are simply locked into the climate change denial position that characterised the Howard government for so long.