Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

Framework principle No. 6, which was set down in the announcements which followed the Multi-Party Committee on Climate Change, has made it very clear that the approach that the government is taking to this whole issue is that we have to find a mechanism to price carbon that would ‘provide businesses with the confidence needed to undertake long-term investments in low emissions technology and infrastructure, which will reduce costs for households and businesses in the long-term’.

What we have, of course, is the complete contrast of that approach from that taken by those opposite. That is the great pity here. There is a genuine opportunity here for business to engage in a serious public policy debate, and that opportunity extends to the Liberal Party if they were to choose to take it up. What in fact we have seen from the Liberal Party is the view that they should turn their backs on the future of this country—they should turn their backs on the prosperity of the people of this country. We are finding that even News Limited has taken up the proposition— (Time expired)