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

I thank Senator Xenophon for that. I do not want to make, by fiat, a decision in this chamber about what a company would or would not be entitled to. If the argument about additionality is that you would not have done this if you did not get the offsets, then I would have thought that was prima facie evidence that it would be an argument for additionality. You do not want people to gain this, Senator, and I am sure you would not be supportive of that. Leaving aside the factual scenario, because I do not know all the detail in relation to that particular company, in relation to an offset, if the argument is that this project would not be carried out in the absence of the issue of free units in accordance with this program then surely, if they are genuinely, credibly and demonstrably in a situation where that project would not be carried out in the absence of the units, then that would assist in meeting the additionality test.