Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, my old friend Senator Carr.

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is an old friend. I have never agreed with Senator Conroy on Senator Carr. I refer to the government’s attempt today to soften up Australian consumers for a plastic bag checkout charge by leaking a so-called confidential report claiming that a voluntary plastic bag phase-out is not working. Will the minister categorically rule out Australian shoppers being charged for each plastic bag they use at the checkout?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the opposition are interested in an answer we will seek to provide it; if they are not then I guess we will have to muddle on in any event. I can say that the government, along with other members of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council, is committed to the phase-out of free single-use plastic shopping bags, and would like that to be underway by 1 January 2009. This is a timetable that was agreed by the previous government. In fact, under the former minister for the environment, the member for Wentworth, that was announced through an EPHC communique on 2 June 2007. I will quote from that because it is quite clear that the opposition have a very poor memory on these matters. That communique said:

Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to phasing out plastic bags by January 2009. They welcomed the submissions received during the recent public consultation process on regulatory options for dealing with plastic bags and agreed to consider this issue again along with a revised Regulatory Impact Statement at their next meeting.

That is why this government now understands, in the lead-up to the council’s next meeting next month, that the state and territory ministers will be considering a range of options which were agreed to by the former government and in fact by the member for Wentworth last June. We now have a situation where there is widespread consultation. In fact, one of the options that the previous government did agree to was a proposal that the government impose a levy on plastic bags. That was the previous government’s policy.

Honourable Senators:

What’s yours?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note here in the brief that the Leader of the Opposition indicated that the cat was out of the bag. That was what he said. So we can only assume that that is in fact what the position of the opposition is today.

Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order going to relevance. It was a very specific question which asked whether Senator Carr would rule out any charge on plastic bags at the checkout. It is very important to consumers that we get a clear answer to this question.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kemp, you are starting to debate the point of order. I have listened very carefully. Ministers are not required to give specific answers, but they are required to be relevant, and Senator Carr is being relevant.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was indicating that the opposition had agreed to these policies, not the government. The opposition, when it was the government, presented these policies. This is the problem. We have an opposition with a very short memory of what it actually did in government. What I can tell the present opposition is that this government will not impose a Commonwealth levy on plastic bags, and actions on plastic bags should not be used as a government revenue raiser.

Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The question was not about a Commonwealth levy; the question was whether the Commonwealth would allow a charge to be mandated on plastic bags at the checkout. That is the question before the chamber. Could Senator Carr particularly address that issue?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Kemp, and I understand he does have a small fan club in this chamber—it is very small indeed. Senator Kemp, I will repeat: the policy position that you are accusing this government of is in fact your policy. You have confused yourself on this matter. The policy position you are arguing is in fact the position of the previous government.

Rod Kemp (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. I did not ask about our policy; I have asked about the government’s policy. Can we get a clear statement of the government’s policy?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order. This is now reaching a farcical stage where the opposition are taking frivolous and repetitive points of order, and you should rule them out of order and ask them to desist.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I will not rule them out of order in taking points of order, Senator Conroy, because I do not believe they have been frivolous. I have ruled them out of order but they are entitled to take points of order.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have explained that the Rudd Labor government will not be imposing a Commonwealth levy on plastic bags. I have indicated this to the Senate on, I think, three occasions. We have a situation where the government has yet to consider the deliberations of the council meeting to be held next April. We can only speak for the Commonwealth government on this issue. We can speak only for this government. Unfortunately, the opposition cannot even speak for itself. (Time expired)