Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Does Nyrstar’s extraordinary step in issuing a statement which says its operations are ‘threatened’ by the proposed emissions trading scheme confirm that the government is simply putting up a facade of consultation and is not taking the legitimate concerns of companies like Nyrstar seriously?

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

The answer to that is no. I say to Senator Parry that we put out a green paper in July. Since that time, my department and I, as well as other ministers, have been engaged in a very constructive consultation with very many Australian businesses about the detailed propositions in the green paper. We have had an ongoing and constructive engagement with Nyrstar. We have made it very clear that the detailed propositions put out in the green paper were put out precisely to enable the sort of constructive consultation we have had. I was aware of this press release from yesterday, and I make the point that this particular company is urging the government to make changes to the design of the ETS—in particular, to the design of the transitional systems that it is proposed be provided to the emissions-intensive trade-exposed sector. That is what the company has put to the government.

There have been a range of views put to the government, frankly, from both sides of the fence about how to handle the emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries. The government is committed to closely consulting with industry because we understand very much the importance of ensuring that we get the most appropriate design for the emissions trading scheme, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, that we are able. That is why the government is undertaking these consultations. That is why the government put out such a detailed set of propositions in the green paper. We will continue to have a constructive engagement with business on these issues. I still await, of course, the opposition’s clarification about what their position is—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our position is to save jobs.

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

and whether those such as Senator Abetz and Senator Minchin, who do not believe climate change is happening, who are climate change sceptics, will win out—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

or whether Mr Turnbull, who is their leader, will actually be able to deliver on his commitment to the Australian people when he said that he would introduce the most comprehensive emissions trading scheme in the world.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am waiting for order on both sides before we proceed with question time.

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

As I said, we await with interest the opposition’s position on this. We in the government understand a number of things which appear to have escaped the opposition’s attention. The first is that climate change is something that we do need to act on as a nation. We need to transition our economy over time to a lower carbon economy. We on this side understand that the costs of delaying and the costs of inaction are greater than the costs of responsible action now. Secondly, we on this side of the chamber understand absolutely that we need to strike the right balance between the interests of the emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries and the interests of Australian households in both ensuring that there is adequate assistance for the introduction of a carbon price and recognising that failure to act on climate change, as was the hallmark of the Howard government, simply increases the costs.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister then disagree with the statement made today by the Tasmanian Labor Premier, David Bartlett, in relation to the proposed ETS, that ‘Penny Wong and Kevin Rudd have got it wrong’? Can the minister confirm that Mr Bartlett has also written to the Prime Minister not once but twice expressing these concerns about the effects of the proposed emissions trading scheme on Tasmanian industry and Tasmanian jobs? I can table the Hansard and the transcript if necessary. Does this make the Labor Premier, Mr Bartlett, a climate change sceptic too?

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

The government has considered and will continue to consider the views put to us by industry and by state governments. State governments, from recollection, made submissions also to the green paper. It is the case that people have different views about the best way to construct the assistance for emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries. I tell you one thing, Mr President: those on this side understand that the Australian people want action taken on climate change—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I remind senators on both sides that this is question time and there should be silence. Senator Wong, you have 18 seconds left.

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

The Australian people understand that we on this side are prepared to take action on climate change. What they remember is that those on the other side—who, in the words of one of their own, said, ‘We had to pretend that we cared because the electorate cared’—were the people who took no action for 12 years. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that it is Thursday and I understand that some senators are a little bit excited, but we need silence on both sides.