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

The fact is that both major parties—certainly those opposite, while they were in government, and the Rudd government—have come to the conclusion that it is in Australia’s national interest to act to reduce emissions. It is in Australia’s national interest to introduce a scheme to reduce emissions. Those opposite have had a number of policy changes since the election, but that is certainly what Prime Minister Howard went to the last election with. In relation to the issue of China and other nations, I think the point that was made in the Shergold report to Prime Minister Howard was that, notwithstanding some of those issues, it was in Australia’s interest to act, that there would be benefits to our economy and costs that could be avoided by acting. On the issue that the senator previously raised, I again refer him— (Time expired)