Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

A clean-energy nation means harnessing the next generation of renewable energy. Australia has an abundance of renewable energy. We are lucky to enjoy an abundance of solar, natural gas, geothermal and wind resources. It is now time to turn our comparative advantage in these resources to cutting carbon pollution. A carbon price will change this by putting a price tag on carbon pollution. Big business will be aware of their pollution because they will have to pay for it. Households will be aware of the carbon pollution produced by the goods and services they consume because prices of high-polluting goods will be higher than prices of goods which produce less pollution. It will send the signals for business to innovate and find ways to reduce carbon pollution. It will send the signals to households to switch to goods and services which produce less pollution. It is a market mechanism, one that will drive investment to give us a cleaner economy. These changes are necessary both for our climate and for our economy. (Time expired)