Senate debates
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Bills
Clean Energy Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Customs) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Excise) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (International Unit Surrender Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Tax Laws Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Auctions) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Fixed Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Shortfall Charge — General) Bill 2011, Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011, Climate Change Authority Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment Bill 2011; In Committee
4:08 pm
Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source
The turkeys have just voted for Christmas. I say to those in the Australian Labor Party that they will need to explain to the Australian people and explain a few answers to questions. The first one is: on what basis, what authority, do they claim to guillotine this legislation through the parliament? Is it on the strength of an election promise? Is it on the strength of an electoral mandate? Is it on the strength of popular demand for this legislation? During this committee stage, having avoided answering question after question during question time and in the public debate, the minister can explain to the Australian people on what moral authority, on what mandate or on what popular support she claims that this legislation needs to be guillotined through the parliament. She might like to also explain to the Australian people why this needs to be rushed through, as she has claimed. I suspect it is for Durban, but let us wait for the answer.
She might also tell the Australian people what is the actual environmental dividend. If we pass this legislation, by how much less will temperatures rise or how many fewer droughts will we allegedly have or how much less will sea levels rise?
Senator Wong interjecting—
Senator Wong says, 'exactly the same as ours', our direct action plan. For the first time we have an acknowledgment that our direct action plan will deliver the environmental dividends we have said but without the huge tax being imposed on every single Australian.
Another question that the minister might like to answer during the committee stage is: why is it that if we dig out coal in Australia to burn in Australia for Australian jobs and for Australian electricity it is such an unmitigated evil that it should be taxed, but if that same coal is dug out of Australia and shipped to China or India and burnt in China or India for the benefit of their populations and their manufacturing sectors, it is not an unmitigated evil and not worthy of a tax?
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