Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that there is an opposition amendment to this motion relating to a regulation of mobile phone chargers. I have agreed to the amendment, but I do not have the words of it with me. If the opposition cares to move that amendment, I will agree of course to it.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend the motion by deleting the word ‘legislate’ in paragraph (d) and replacing it with the word ‘examine’.

Leave granted.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the motion, as amended:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that the incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is a major environmental problem that unnecessarily generates significant amounts of electronic waste;

(b)

acknowledges that it is an inconvenience for Australian consumers to acquire a new charger and dispose of the current one each time they want to acquire a new phone;

(c)

recognises that this problem can be fixed by the mobile phone industry working together to harmonise mobile phone chargers; and

(d)

calls on the Government to examine the harmonisation of mobile phone chargers in agreement with the mobile phone industry, similar to the agreement that has been reached in Europe.

Question agreed to.

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement in relation to that motion.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That there is already action being taken by industry voluntarily and without there being a demonstration of a clear benefit to the community from imposing legislation is the reason the government has not supported this motion. The incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones constitutes only a small part of electronic waste, with only two per cent of phones and accessories being disposed to landfill in 2009. The mobile phone industry already provides Australian consumers with a capacity to recycle their old chargers at the same time as they recycle their old phones through the industry led scheme, Mobile Muster. I am advised that the current approach in the European Union favours a voluntary memorandum of understanding between major suppliers of mobile phones, not legislation. The government is already in the process of developing product stewardship legislation that will support voluntary schemes such as that already operating in the mobile phone industry.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government has missed the amendment that has just been agreed to by the Senate that changed the word ‘legislate’ to the word ‘examine’. Also, it should understand—and I think that every member of this place will understand—the frustration there is when, pretty well every time you get a new phone, you need a new phone charger to go with it, and out go chargers all over the place. It is an extraordinarily bungled system, and there should be a simple phone charger that all phones are adapted to. An agreement has been reached on that with industry in Europe, and this motion, if passed, would have the government examine—in concert with the industry—getting such an agreement brought in in Australia pronto, so that we end the extreme waste and frustration that there is with there being such a plethora of phone chargers.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition agree with the comments that have just been made. It is a real nuisance for people, whenever they buy a new mobile phone, that they have to buy a new phone charger. I am sure that people across Australia would agree with those of us who have had that experience and who have got 20 or 30 phone chargers in the bottom drawer that cannot be used. The coalition’s view is that legislation should not be the first step. The heavy hand of government should not be the first response in terms of enforcing legislation. However, common sense should prevail, and government and industry should have a process in place where they examine the feasibility of harmonising phone chargers. It is a matter of taking a common-sense approach. I am somewhat surprised that the government would have difficulty with the proposition of examining the possibility of harmonising mobile phone chargers, because if such harmonisation were able to happen it certainly would address a lot of inconvenience for people right across Australia. We would like to think that the government is going to reconsider the attitude here in the chamber and assume that it is based on a lack of proper communication perhaps in the face of an adjusted and amended motion. We would like the government to reconsider the position that they have just adopted.