Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, this is my first opportunity to congratulate you on your election. I thoroughly endorse your comments about that great trade union, the SDA. My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Can the minister advise the Senate of the response to the government’s green paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Farrell for his question and welcome him to the Senate. He is another senator from our great state of South Australia. I am sure he will make an outstanding contribution to the Senate. Senators will be aware that on 16 July the government released its green paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The purpose of that is to provide a vehicle for further consultation on this important economic reform—an important economic reform that is all about preparing this nation for the current and future challenge of climate change, something those opposite ignored in government for nearly 12 years.

I can advise the Senate that there is broad consensus in Australia on the need for this scheme and on the need to get the balance right. I suggest that it is well understood that in getting that balance right there are some difficult decisions that the government need to make. That is well known to business and environmental groups, and it is increasingly being discussed amongst the Australian people more broadly. Can I say that it is the case that tackling climate change will not be easy. The government are very clear about that. We are very clear about the scale of this reform.

In relation to discussions with business, it is clear that business knows that the best way to reduce carbon pollution is to spread the work across the economy so that all sectors of the economy and industry are doing their bit. Many in business and certainly those in this government are acutely aware of the consequences of decisions to take one sector or another sector out of the scheme. What it would mean is that those remaining would have to work harder. Business and the community do understand that Australia is vulnerable to climate change and they know we need to act now for our children’s future and to protect the Australian economy. It is the responsible thing to do.

It is unfortunate that those opposite, the alternative government, are squibbing this issue. What we know is that those opposite are all over the place when it comes to climate change. They are caught by the troglodyte sceptics who ran the Howard government and ignored the issue of climate change. One of the interesting things to have observed over the break was the different positions taken by the opposition when it came to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. They have had, on my count, around about 15 positions on when or if to have an emissions trading scheme.

I will just take you through a few highlights. First, what we know about is in the past, when they were in government and they actually cared about economic responsibility. The then Treasurer, who is still supported for leadership, so I see, by a great many on the other side, said this:

And we are talking about getting it up and running by 2010.

So Treasurer Costello, when in government, said he wanted it up by 2010. We then had Senator Johnston saying, in June, that 2010 was completely unrealistic. We then had Mr Hunt saying:

We remain committed to at least 2012 ... we’ve always been absolutely committed to that ...

My personal favourite was Dr Nelson in his doorstop of 29 July:

… we should proceed to implement an emission trading scheme no sooner than 2011 and no later than 2012 …

‘No sooner than 2011, no later than 2012.’ That is decisive leadership from those on the other side, the alternative government, squibbing it! (Time expired)