Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I want to follow a line of questioning from Senator Milne, the mover of this amendment. As I understand the nub of the issue, this is about the allocation of permits to generators. I have made it clear that I do not have so much of an issue with the allocation of free permits, because it is important to have continuity of supply. My concern is the question of the conditionality of that and, if you like, the mutual obligation. If taxpayers’ funds are being used, what do we get in return in the context of a scheme that is meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? I would be grateful if the minister, with respect to the amendment moved by Senator Milne, could elaborate on the matters raised by Senator Milne about the potential costs.

Secondly, in relation to the low-emissions transition incentive referred to in the joint media release of 24 November from the minister and the Treasurer, what would the criteria for that be? How conditional is it, and how robust is the process to ensure that for the billions of dollars in free permits there is a requirement for coal-fired power stations, for instance, to mandatorily moved towards lower emission technology?