Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I would like a vote on this amendment but, before I do that, I want to point out that, when the coalition commissioned Frontier Economics jointly with me back in 2009, the slogan of the coalition was that this scheme, the Frontier approach, was smarter, it was greener, it was cheaper. I know the coalition have moved on since that time, but I do ask them to consider whether they acknowledge that the robust modelling of Frontier Economics—the same people who did the Treasury's modelling, the same models used by Treasury—is a scheme that would lead to $47 million in savings for a similar period, until 2020, compared to the government's scheme with a deeper target to be achieved. Can the coalition indicate why they walked away from that, when they had the modelling? They had the work done but they are no longer supporting it. I just want there to be some good public policy here. The coalition know that I support them in opposing this legislation for a whole range of reasons somewhat different perhaps from theirs. To what extent will the coalition revisit the Frontier approach for a longer term policy?