Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition’s answer of course is to do absolutely nothing about the impact climate change is having on this country and internationally. They have gone from being a party of climate sceptics who would not even look at the Kyoto protocol, let alone sign it, to a party that is now just objecting, obstructing and denying that this country needs to move forward in being part of an international solution to the climate change problem.

We put out a green paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. After months of consultation, that became the white paper. Then there were concessions and changes made to the white paper. Now we have draft legislation, and we have a minister who has accepted and encouraged the fact that this chamber will look at that draft legislation. There are never any solutions or any alternatives from the people opposite me—only difficulties, objections, obstructions, negative comments and scaremongering. There is never a proposal, because they do not actually have a proposal. They do not have an agreement about where they are moving on this; they do not have an alternative policy that they can put to the Australian people.

Our Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will start in 2010. We are committed to that deadline. We went to the election on this promise, and the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong, has worked incredibly hard for the last year or so, tirelessly consulting with businesses, stakeholders and those that have concerns about this. Our scheme will put a cost on carbon pollution—that is for sure—but it will also encourage major polluting businesses to lower their emissions. We need to sign up to this, to be committed to this, as part of a global and international solution. Our scheme will start reducing Australia’s carbon pollution from next year; that is what we need to do as a country. We will use the funds raised to assist households to adjust to the scheme, making sure that Australian families do not carry the cost of climate change. We will build on our investment in renewable energy to create low-pollution jobs into the future in solar energy, wind energy and new technology like clean coal and geothermal energy. Taking action on climate change will actually see the renewable energy sector grow to 30 times its size by 2050, so in fact under our scheme we will be creating thousands of jobs.

The Treasury modelling released in October last year showed that these measures will see the renewable energy sector grow, as I said, but we also know that if we do not act Australia’s economy will be left behind, because the low-pollution jobs that we need for the future will not be created. The modelling released last year showed that, for economies and countries that defer action, sit on their hands, do nothing and produce no alternative models—or no models at all, which is what the opposition want—the long-term costs will be around 15 per cent higher than the costs for those that take action now. The people opposite me want to sit on their hands and do nothing. They do not want to create new industries in the renewable energy target but actually want to postpone the costs so that in later years we will be faced with a cost that is 15 per cent higher and escalating.

Their solution to this is to make sure that they put up whatever brick wall, whatever nonsolution, whatever non-alternative-policy they can. From those opposite we have seen no consistent position, alternative policy or idea brought to the table and no positive discussion. Theirs is a party that simply wants to deny that there are future industries, technologies and jobs out there, a party that would like to defer the cost of this so that it becomes 15 per cent higher in years to come. Rather than do something now, take a positive step and be part of a global solution—be part of the answer rather than the problem—they just criticise and complain.