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

I thank Senator McEwen for the question. Today we have seen further evidence of the need for a carbon price in Australia so that polluters are forced to pay for their carbon pollution—the carbon pollution that is causing climate change. A report that will be formally launched on Friday by ClimateWorks Australia makes it very clear that a carbon price as well as targeted practical measures are critical to achieving the reductions in carbon pollution in this country.

We know that the only policy being put forward by a major party in this country that involves a price on carbon is the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The report released today shows that a carbon price—that is, making polluters pay—is essential to driving an emissions reduction across the economy. I refer to what the ClimateWorks Executive Director, Anna Skarbek, told the ABC this morning when she spoke about a five per cent target. She said:

Without a carbon price, our analysis shows by 2020 emissions would continue to rise under that scenario.

That is precisely Tony Abbott’s policy: a policy on climate change that does not do anything about climate change, a policy on climate change that ensures that emissions will rise, policy on climate change that ignores the need for making sure that polluters pay and a policy on climate change that ignores the advice that was finally taken even by former Prime Minister, John Howard. The reality is any policy that claims—