Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will go back to what I said originally about this matter. It is important to maintain the integrity of the system. Senator Milne said it in a perhaps shorter way than I am about to, but this amendment seeks to take things outside the available procedures that have been established to make sure that in an international setting those people who look at the integrity of the system see that it is not compromised.

This amendment avoids the methodology; it avoids having an independent assessment. It puts in a specific clause that would open up the ability for others to come along and say, 'We have our own specific circum­stances and we therefore want a legislative solution. We want the same as the landfill industry.' You open up the integrity and put it in jeopardy. Secondly, dealing with what I think Senator Xenophon talked about, this is not a negotiation. It is very important to keep that in mind—it is not a negotiation.