Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

These minor amendments deal with administrative matters. They clarify that the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator, which administers the current Mandatory Renewable Energy Target Scheme and will administer the expanded RET scheme, will be responsible for administration of partial exemptions in relation to emissions-intensive trade-exposed activities under the RET scheme. When the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme comes into force, the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator will be absorbed into the Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority, which will administer these partial exemptions.

The proposed amendments simply replace several references made in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill 2009 to the ‘Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator’ to the ‘Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority’, as the authority will only come into existence once the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation passes. Consequential amendments in the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme legislation will give effect to the requisite change of reference from ‘regulator’ to ‘authority’ in the RET legislation at the appropriate time. These provisions are to commence on the day the bill receives royal assent. As this minor amendment deals with a purely administrative matter required to support the agreement reached in the Senate, I understand that those opposite will support it. I commend the amendments to the House.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia will have real renewable energy legislation. Australia will have a 20 per cent renewable energy target and Australia will have the beginnings of a clean energy revolution. This is the legislation which the government itself delayed. This is the legislation that we have brought forward. This is the legislation that we worked to get passed. It is a great result for Australia. It is a great result for the clean energy industry. We support it. We have worked towards it.

I am delighted also that it shows that the parliament can work at its best when the government agrees to negotiate and compromise. We have negotiated and we have reached an agreement. It is a tremendous result for the parliament and it is a tremendous result for Australia.

I thank the minister for his work. I respect the fact that Senator Wong also came to the table, and I appreciate that process of cooperation. It is what the parliament can do. If the government wants work in relation to the emissions trading scheme, they should begin unconditional talks today. No conditions. No strings. Let us begin talking. Let us deal today with the question of green carbon. Let us make sure that burping cows are not taxed. Let us get the taxing of burping cows off the agenda. Let us get green carbon and agricultural offsets onto the agenda. Let us negotiate today without conditions.

Ultimately, having this bill in this place on this day is a triumph for parliamentary process and parliamentary democracy. We support the renewable energy target. We support a clean energy revolution. It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the opposition to give our support and our agreement to the renewable energy target of 20 per cent.

Greg Combet (Charlton, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In closing the discussion on this important piece of legislation, which has been through the Senate and is now back before the House for final adoption, it is important to reinforce the fact that the implementation of this legislation represents a commitment made by the Australian Labor Party to achieve 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply from renewable sources by the year 2020. We are pleased that the coalition has entered into discussions with the government leading to this agreement. It implements our policy position and can now, on passage through the parliament and after receiving royal assent, unlock investment in renewable energy and the jobs associated with it. It is a significant piece of legislation.

Finally I would like to thank those who have worked extremely hard to achieve this legislation, including the officers of the Department of Climate Change and other departments. But most particularly I would like to put on the record my congratulations to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong, who has had a very difficult portfolio to manage and has managed it tremendously well. I would like to thank her staff on this important achievement as well. I commend the amendments to the House.

Question agreed to.