Senate debates
Monday, 7 November 2011
Bills
Clean Energy Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Tax Laws Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Shortfall Charge — General) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Auctions) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Fixed Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (International Unit Surrender Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Customs) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Excise) Bill 2011, Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011, Climate Change Authority Bill 2011; In Committee
1:44 pm
Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source
Perhaps the advisors can arm Senator Wong with the detailed answer later on. I understand the 12 million is a per annum figure that gives an even trajectory towards the five per cent target. That was the argument Senator Wong put in Thursday's debate. Given that 38 million units obviously is not three lots of 12 million or two lots of 12 million, is it a higher target that has to be met in the initial fixed-price years of the scheme compared with what will be required in the non-fixed-price years of the scheme? If they are able to provide a clear answer there, that would be appreciated.
Whilst I am on my feet I will move, on behalf of the opposition and Senator Xenophon, the amendment on sheet 7168:
(1) Clause 2, page 1 (line 16) to page 5 (line 3), omit the clause, substitute:
2 Commencement
(1) The provisions of this Act commence on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.
(2) A Proclamation for the purposes of subsection (1) must not be made until after elections have been held for the 44th Parliament and the Parliament has met.
This is a very simple amendment. It is an amendment the opposition moved in the other place. It is an amendment that both Senator Xenophon and the opposition have circulated in relation to this debate. It is simple because what it seeks to achieve is simply to defer the proclamation of this legislation until the meeting of the next parliament. It seeks to ensure that the Australian people have a say on whether this package of bills comes into law or not. This amendment is put forward mindful of the fact that the Australian public were so willingly, deliberately and clearly misled at the last election. We have heard the words time and time again but, as I said in my speech in the second reading debate, just because the reminder of the Prime Minister's commitment at the last election that there would be no carbon tax under a government she led has been repeated time and time again in this place, in the other place and in public debate does not make the Prime Minister's breach of faith, her total backflip on that promise, any less significant.
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