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

At the request of Senator Abetz, I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

the bipartisan commitment to an unconditional reduction in CO emissions of 5 per cent from 2000 levels by 2020, and a reduction of up to 25 per cent in the event of a comprehensive global agreement,

(ii)

the importance of ensuring that the Obama Administration’s intentions on an emissions trading scheme are clarified before Australia implements any emissions trading scheme including the Government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), and

(iii)

the importance of awaiting the outcomes of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in relation to targets before any scheme is legislated in Australia;

(b)

calls on the Government to refer the proposed CPRS to the Productivity Commission so that it may conduct a 6-month review, and make public its findings, before the legislation is finalised to:

(i)

assess the national, regional and industry sectoral impact of the CPRS in light of the global financial crisis,

(ii)

assess the economic impact of the CPRS in light of other countries either not imposing a price on carbon comparable to that proposed in Australia or imposing such a price after different assumed periods of delay, and

(iii)

conceptually and empirically examine the relative costs and benefits (including emissions reductions) of the key alternative scheme designs against the CPRS; and

(c)

therefore, calls on the Government to defer further consideration of the following bills until after the conclusion of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen:

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009

Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges—Customs) Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges—Excise) Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges—General) Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS Fuel Credits) Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS Fuel Credits) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009

Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) Bill 2009

Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) Bill 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Amendment (Household Assistance) Bill 2009

or any other related bill or bills to implement the proposed CPRS.

Question put:

That the motion (Senator Abetz’s) be agreed to.