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

I know there is a lot of sookiness with the blokes on that side who do not like any scrutiny of their policy failure. Every time we mention the fact that their policy will cost more, they want to jump up and say, 'That is not relevant to the debate.' Well, the debate is about how you get to five per cent; that is the debate. We on this side have an economically responsible policy with tax cuts and additional benefits through the pension and family tax benefits system, all of which you oppose. You want to impose a higher cost on the economy, a higher cost on pensioners, a higher cost on families through your policy. In terms of the international situation, I would invite Senator Joyce to read the recent report from the Climate Commission which has been released, which concludes that 90 countries representing 90 per cent of the global economy have committed to reduce their carbon pollution and have policies in place to achieve their reduction. Many of these countries rely on a market-based mechanism and by next year around 850 million people will be living in a country, state or city with an emissions trading scheme, including countries like the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand and Switzerland. Those are the relevant international facts. I know that Senator Joyce does not want to acknowledge that. (Time expired)