Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Ludwig. I refer the minister to the government's policy backdowns in relation to developing Australia as a low-emissions economy, such as the dumping of the carbon floor price and negotiations failing under the Contract for Closure program. Given that the regional structural assistance package of $200 million was part of the government assistance to regional communities to offset the impact of the world's biggest carbon tax, can the minister advise whether the full $200 million will still be paid to local communities, whose economies are struggling to adjust since the implementation of the carbon tax?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her continued interest in the carbon price, particularly as it impacts in rural Australia. What we do know is that there is a $1.7 billion Land Sector Package, which is designed to assist the farming community through both the CFI and also then to deal with reduction in carbon.

In fact I have had the opportunity of visiting many farmers across New South Wales and Victoria who come out to find out how they can participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative, how they can participate in the carbon market and how they can continue to access available grants—both Filling the Research Gap and Action on the Ground—and also the communication package. All of that is good news for the farming community—unlike the doormats for the Liberal Party; they do not want to assist farmers—because they are on the front line when it comes to climate change.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My point of order is relevance. My question goes to the regional structural assistance package, not land compensation.

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

Order! There is no point of order. I believe that the minister is answering the question. The minister still has 59 seconds remaining to answer the question.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, Senator McKenzie's question also went to linkage. It is about the floor price. Why? Because it is important that we actually have a system where we have a fixed-price move to an emissions trading system that works. What is very important is that it is an odd position: what they are not advocating and not telling the rural community is that if the opposition's policy were to get up—heaven forbid!—if they were then not to follow through and if they were to trash the carbon price then the CFI would be undermined. The Carbon Farming Initiative, which they pretend to support in rural and regional Australia, would be undermined. But they come down here and support the opposition in resisting and continuing to decry setting a price on carbon. Why? Because we do want to have a clean energy future, whereas what they do is undermine it. But they are not honest with their rural constituents— (Time expired)

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. How is the government identifying which communities impacted by the world's biggest carbon tax will be assisted through the Regional Structural Assistance Package, and what is the criteria?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the difficulty that the opposition have, particularly the doormats of the Liberal Party. They are all over the place. I have said it before and I will say it again—like a dropped pie.

What Senator McKenzie has asked is a supplementary question to another portfolio—to a completely different portfolio! Right out of the climate change portfolio; she has now leapt across into regional and rural Australia to Mr Crean's portfolio. I do not represent Mr Crean's portfolio. It is an odd position that you are now asking from—

Senator Nash interjecting—

Oh—I see it is hurting, Senator Nash! I see that you have gone to the funny little hand movements! It is very odd—let not the camera pick that up! Please do not let the camera pick that up!

What I can say is that I will take it on notice. I will check with Minister Crean in relation to that issue, because it is not within this portfolio. But what I can say broadly is— (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! When there is silence on both sides we will proceed. Senator McKenzie is entitled to be heard in silence.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question. When will the government detail when and how regional communities will be able to understand and access information around the regional structural assistance package and when is it going to be available to local regional communities to provide them certainty of compensation for the world's biggest carbon tax?

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: the minister has already made the point that this is outside his portfolio. The senator has jumped from a supplementary which was broad but also related to Minister Crean's portfolio to now in a second supplementary she is specifically referring to matters that Senator Conroy represents in this chamber.

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

There is no point of order. I am going to ask the minister to answer that part of the question that refers to the portfolio that he is representing.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her good try at this. I will take that on notice as I understand the question relates to Minister Crean's portfolio, well outside the climate change portfolio. But it is very clear that within climate change we are doing an enormous amount of work with local farmers and rural communities about the impacts of carbon, how we can mitigate it and how we can support that, if you look at the work that is currently being undertaken, both filling the research gap and action on the ground. Action on the ground is incredibly important. I was in Clare in South Australia with the No-Till Farmers Association and they were keen to see the benefits of how they could sequestering carbon and how they could make money from carbon. Who was missing from that? The National Party, because they do not want to support farmers in rural Australia to find out about how they can lower their emissions— (Time expired)