Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a question for Senator Wong as the minister for climate change. Can the minister explain what purpose it will serve for Australia to enter into a carbon tax—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Wait a minute. I am trying to hear Senator Boswell.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a question for Senator Wong in her capacity as minister for climate change. I now want to ask the question.

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

Yes, you are right.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was interrupted.

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

You are quite all right.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the minister for climate change. Can the minister explain what purpose it will serve for Australia to enter into a carbon tax when our emissions are only 1.4 per cent but, in comparison, China's carbon emissions will rise by 496 per cent and India's emissions will rise by 350 per cent by 2020? Even if we reduce emissions by an effective 30 per cent on a business-as-usual basis by 2020, won't it be utterly meaningless in the context of projected massive growth in emissions, particularly from China, India and Indonesia?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First—and I am sure it was just a slip of the tongue of Senator Boswell—I am no longer the minister for climate change; I am the Minister for Finance and Deregu­lation. But I do represent the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and I am very happy to take your question. The answer to it is this: because Australians are not slackers. We do not simply sit back and say that the rest of the world should do something but we should just do nothing. It is not the Australian way for us to say: 'There's this global problem, but you know what? We're just going to wash our hands of it and make sure everybody else acts.'

Senator Boswell, you used to believe that that was wrong as well, because your party went to the 2007 election with John Howard, the then Prime Minister, promising the Australian people he would put a price on carbon as the most sensible, economically efficient way to deal with climate change. That was your policy, but you have abrogated any pretence of sensible public policy in this debate, instead preferencing a scaremongering and fearmongering cam­paign that essentially says that Australia should not play our part. It is true that—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

It would be helpful if those on my left desisted. Senator Wong, continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do often think—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, do you? That's a surprise!

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

Ignore the interjections. Just continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Really, Senator Abetz; sometimes I think it is unfortunate that you occupy the position you hold, because you so rarely act in accordance with it. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Wait a minute, Senator Boswell. You are entitled to be heard in silence.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Does the minister believe it unfair and unreasonable to expect countries like India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines to place a carbon tax on their industries that will increase the price of electricity, shelter, food and transport for their citizens, many of whom already live well below the poverty line and have insufficient calorie intake, insufficient clean water and insufficient shelter?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator should be aware of the action which is already being taken by some of the countries which he has referenced and many other countries that he has not refer­enced. China is leading the world in the production and installation of renewable—

Senator Bernardi interjecting—

Senator Bernardi, I know you do not believe in this issue and so any time somebody says something different you just want to shout them down, but the reality is that China is acting, as are other countries. The position of the opposition is untenable because what they are saying is: 'We believe this is a problem, but someone else can fix it. We believe this is a problem, but we don't want to have to do anything about it. We believe this is a problem, but we're not going to put our shoulder to the wheel. We believe this is a problem, but all we will do is fearmonger and scaremonger.' This is the position of the alternative government, and it is, frankly, a shameful position, a position that people like Mr Turnbull are rightly critical of.

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Wait a minute, Senator Boswell. When there is silence, we will proceed.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Last week the Treasurer made a speech on carbon tax but did not provide any modelling. When will the modelling used to justify the carbon tax be made available, and will it differ from the old CPRS modelling that claimed a carbon tax will reduce growth and aggregate productivity, produce temporary unem­ployment of up to 10 years and see real wages fall by 4.2 per cent?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer did make some comments at the National Press Club about some preliminary findings, which included that the Australian economy will continue to grow. We will continue to have jobs growth and income growth with the imposition of a carbon price. That is consistent with the previous modelling, which was released by the government. I know that those opposite do not like to deal with the real facts; they would rather deal with the pretend facts on their side of the debate. The reality is the government previously released the modelling—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator Wong, I might ask you to resume your seat. Senator Wong, continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am also asked if the government will release the modelling. The government certainly did previously. I would anticipate that the government, when it makes its final decisions in relation to the design—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Do you want the answer or not, Senator Boswell? I was part-way through. It is the interjections from your senators. (Time expired)