Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate that the Australian Greens will not be supporting the March 2014 reporting date in the amendment moved by Senator Wong but will be supporting the 2 December 2013 date, as proposed in the original government amendment, because I do not believe it is the time for equivocation and delay. The Greens have made it very clear that we want to make the Abbott government understand that we will not support the repeal of this legislation. We know what the bills do. They have been the law since 1 July 2012. They are bringing down emissions. The Climate Change Authority is doing a brilliant job of assessing the implications of decisions being made around the world, the latest science and so on, and has made its recommendations.

Equally, we have an emissions trading scheme legislated; it is in place, it is operating with a fixed price and will go to flexible pricing in 2015. Just as the Clean Energy Finance Corporation is giving certainty to the renewable energy businesses, we want to give them the certainty of knowing that this parliament supports their work, supports the work of the Climate Change Authority and will not stand by and see those organisations threatened with uncertainty and doubt. We should just vote these bills down and give them certainty that they can get on with their work, deliver their reports, and that the parliament will deal with them accordingly and has no truck with the idea that you would abandon these pieces of legislation or in fact the whole climate package. It is a question of whether you think equivocation is a signal you want to send; it is clearly not a signal that I want to send.

The bills have been operating for 12 months and we know what they do. What we do not know is what Direct Action would or would not do, because there is no policy, no plan. That is why we wanted to have an inquiry into Direct Action and will continue to expose the flaws and inadequacies in any statements around Direct Action. But we are not going to extend this process. If the Abbott government wants to destroy the best opportunity we have to bring down our own emissions in the context of global emissions, then we will stand up and say no.