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
11:09 am
Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source
I think this is my final question on this issue, which does concern me as to whether there is an opportunity to avoid unnecessary increases to households and small businesses. The government's position—and it would be the position of the Australian Bankers Association as well, and of those that disagree with the Electricity Supply Association—is that you could have secondary markets in place to manage the risk, to hedge the risk. I think that is a fair summary. But wouldn't it be better to try and deal with the problem directly rather than relying on a secondary market? All I am asking is: will the government have an open mind in looking at issues of the risks involved that have been raised and, if necessary, to commission modelling on these issues, given the very live concerns that have been raised by two state governments, of different political persuasions; the Electricity Supply Association; and the modelling carried out by ACIL Tasman?
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