Glenn Lazarus (Queensland, Palmer United Party) Share this | Hansard source

As Leader of the Palmer United Party in the Senate, on behalf of my party and my colleagues Senators Lambie and Wang, I would like to confirm our support for the Carbon Farming Initiative Amendment Bill 2014 and also inform the Senate that we have circulated amendments to the bill to further improve and strengthen the intent, integrity and impact of this bill.

Palmer United is committed to a clean future, a future where we power our needs using clean, renewable energy. We only have one planet and we must do all we can to protect, preserve and take care of it. It is for this reason that we have convinced the Abbott government not to dismantle the Climate Change Authority. The Climate Change Authority was established in 2012 to provide independent advice on the operation of Australian government climate change initiatives. Australia needs this authority to provide integrity and transparency around Australia's actions, efforts and results in relation to climate change—and, more broadly, our country's commitment to the appropriate management of our environment.

Importantly, we have also convinced the Abbott government to back down on their position concerning an emissions trading scheme. Thanks to the negotiating power of Palmer United, we have convinced the Abbott government to acknowledge the importance of and requirement for an ETS and, as such, have reached agreement with the Abbott government for an inquiry to be undertaken into an emissions trading scheme that is consistent with world's best practice and aligned with our key trading partners. The chairman of the Climate Change Authority, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia Bernie Fraser, will head up the review. This is a significant step forward for Australia and will ensure our country moves down the path of installing a sustainable emissions trading scheme which supports all corners of our country and, importantly, all aspects of our economy.

It is the view of Palmer United that the Carbon Farming Initiative Amendment Bill will do many things for Australia. Firstly, the Carbon Farming Initiative will enable the ongoing viability of existing carbon farms and other projects across the country, which are relying on the ongoing support of carbon credits to continue operations. While we have removed the carbon tax, which has resulted in a reduction in cost of living for all Australians, we need to ensure that projects established to operate with the assistance of credits are properly supported. There are currently around 171 projects in this situation and 44 specifically in my home state of Queensland. These include landfill gas capture, savanna burning and environmental plantings projects. Secondly, the Carbon Farming initiative will provide an incentive based system to achieve a reduction in the generation of emissions across Australia. Thirdly, the initiative will provide certainty to Australian farmers, businesses and others, who deserve and need the support of our country to acknowledge and reward them for supporting our environment through improved and sustainable practices that reduce emissions.

Palmer United's amendments will ensure a regulatory body, the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee, has the capacity and the power to appropriately manage the operations of the program. This power will include reviewing the methodology by which emissions are calculated and ceasing any methods which generate 'illegitimate' credits. Our amendments will also assist Indigenous Australians by extending the crediting period for savanna burning projects from seven to 25 years. Importantly, our amendments will also ensure emissions reduction projects align with sound environmental management practices. Finally, we have bolstered governance and transparency of the program by negotiating a provision that allows any member of the public to ask the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee to conduct a review of any project involved in the initiative.

In summary, the Carbon Farming Initiative Amendment Bill, inclusive of the Palmer United amendments, is a good bill which delivers many benefits and should be supported.