Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Indeed, we are on those amendments. As it is a discussion about increasing the targets, it does link, I think, directly to the impacts that the scheme is going to have. It also relates to a series of questions that I was asking the minister last night but, unfortunately, the time of the evening precluded us from continuing. I was asking the minister yesterday evening: by how much will the Australian scheme reduce global carbon emissions? I think we were at the point, Minister, at which you were discussing a range of potential options for other countries to be part of this scheme. It was, however, very clearly a question about how much, if no other countries came on board and Australia embarked on this scheme, it would actually reduce those global emissions.

I think this is quite important. Australian people are very keen to know. We have been extraordinarily inundated—and I think that is probably an understatement today, particularly for the National Party, although I know other colleagues have been inundated as well—by emails and phone calls from people who have extraordinarily serious concerns about the introduction of this scheme. One of the questions that seems to keep coming up, time and time again, is: if we are the only ones embarking upon this scheme, what difference will it actually make to global emissions? Given that so many people out in communities right around this country are very concerned about this, perhaps, Minister, we could return to that conversation from last night and you could give us an answer?