Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

First, I make the point to Senator Cormann that his position on carbon pricing has been entirely inconsistent. In his first speech, in August 2007, he said:

Climate change is a challenge we are facing as a global community. If we take a sensible and considered approach to meeting that challenge, Australia can play a pivotal role in facilitating the production of clean energy for the world.

He also said:

The government’s recent announcement of a national emissions trading scheme, including offsets for trade exposed industries, is a positive and sensible approach …

More importantly, he has made the point on a number of occasions that Copenhagen changed everything. I want to give him a reminder about history and, in that context, a reminder about mandate: he was elected to this place on the policy of pricing carbon. He was elected to this place on the policy of putting a price on carbon through an emissions trading scheme. I remind him that Prime Minister Howard's Shergold report specifically contemplated a world in which there was not a fully developed, global agreement on pricing carbon.

Perhaps Senator Cormann would like to consider this quote:

A comprehensive global mechanism will take years to develop and Australia has decided not to wait for this to emerge and last month I announced that the Government will establish an emissions trading regime for Australia based on a cap and trade model. Our goal is to begin in 2011 subject to relevant design issues being properly completed.

…   …   …

In the years to come, it will provide a model for other nations to follow.

Being among the first movers on carbon trading in this region will bring new opportunities and we intend to grasp them.

That was an address by John Howard to the Melbourne Press Club in July 2007. Let us put to bed this lie that is perpetuated by those opposite that somehow their policy was to wait for a global agreement. Your then Prime Minister and leader, under which most of you served for a number of years, made it very clear that you were not waiting for a comprehensive global mechanism. Every time you make that proposition, every time you say that, you are seeking to mislead the Australian people, because that was not your policy under Prime Minister Howard and it was not your policy in this chamber when you voted against a carbon pricing mechanism because you were worried about whether or not you would get on the front bench under Tony Abbott. So let's be really clear here about people's political positions. Those opposite supported a carbon price when they thought it was popular, their Liberal Prime Minister supported an emissions trading scheme when he thought he needed to, and they did it explicitly without a comprehensive global agreement. This is simply another lie designed to mislead.

I am not sure that Senator Cormann actually asked me anything. I think it was the same bluster and negativity we always hear from the opposition under this leader. This is a debate that is not easy—I accept that. I accept that this is not an easy debate; it is not an easy reform. But sometimes the responsibility of leaders and members of this place is to do what is right for the country's future even if it is not easy. Instead, what we have is more bluster and more negativity from the opposition. I have to wonder: why is it that all you do is say no? Why is it? You do not put forward any positive policy in any area for the country.