Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

In the vein of not having any questions answered, and I acknowledge there was a public consultation process on everything except the amendments that we have before us, I'm going to give up on seeking the information I was after there.

In relation to some of these things that have been agreed to between the Greens and the Labor Party about imposing this new taxation system on emitters, what I do want to know is how much of what is going to be set up will be done by subordinate legislation? You referenced some in an earlier answer about what's been agreed to. What are we dealing with here that has been agreed to, and what will be dealt with by way of delegated legislation?

In the same vein as the complaint Senator Hanson made about the complete disdain for anyone who wasn't part of the negotiation, any party or grouping of senators who did not sign up to a safeguard at the last election has been characterised as saying no. I tell you what, we do say no to higher taxes. We do say no to offshoring emissions. We do say no to driving up the cost of electricity. We do say no to penalising hardworking Australians with bad policy that will not deliver the outcomes the government says it will.

I'd be interested to understand how much hidden legislation there will be. Sure, we'll get to have a look at it because it is disallowable by its nature, but if it's part of the agreement, and we're here voting on this legislation today—again, I'd point out the fact that amendments are a very important part of any proper democratic debate on legislation. Notwithstanding the long period of time between when the policy was announced prior to the election, the election and the tabling of the first round of draft laws, a lot has changed. So to point to that front end of the process being very important and minimising this end, which is actually where we make laws—where we are voting on behalf of the people we represent about what is good, what is bad—will it have the effect the government says it will? This is what we're interrogating now. It's also important to understand what of this will be tucked away and hidden in delegated legislation, and what effect those changes might be.

Additionally, I'm very interested in this difference of opinion between the government and the Greens over the nature and effect of the agreement that has been reached here. I will interrogate that a bit later on. I just flag that now. I think this is important for the people of Australia, who have obviously heard all the talking points through the various interviews that have been conducted, doorstops by Mr Bandt and others around the success they have had in strangling the fossil fuel sector, but there is a very different take on things from you, Minister, so I would be interested to interrogate that.

But the basic question I have here is, what of the changes to what was put on the table originally is going to be found in delegated legislation? Has anything been drafted yet in terms of the delegated legislation? If it has commenced but is not yet completed, what stage are we at? Who is being consulted on that? Is it the same group of people that had the broad conversations you referenced with the culmination of the 27 March announcement? And I would be interested to understand whether the Australian Greens are helping you draft these pieces of delegated legislation, and will there be a public discussion about these things before they are tabled here in the Senate?