Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I was listening with some interest to the parliamentary secretary making some points on people talking on the wrong legislation. I would have thought that the parliamentary secretary would have been well aware that the people who did want to make contributions yesterday on renewable electricity, the people who wanted to move amendments last week to some of the consequential bills to this piece of legislation that has come back from the Senate, have not been able to make those contributions because the government has refused those people the opportunity. So to come in here today and attack members of this parliament for wanting to make a contribution to the energy debate—the very debate that the leader of your party has said we should have, but does not seem to want to enable people in this parliament to participate in—is an absolute disgrace.

This legislation, as I understand it, is about the expiry dates for excise licences. Maybe the parliamentary secretary would like to explain to country motorists why the Fuel Sales Grant Scheme has expired and why those people will now have to pay a greater price at the bowser for petrol than their city cousins. Why will they have to pay 1c to 3c a litre more for their fuel than they do presently? Why has the government initiated legislation in this parliament which will lead quite directly to an increase in price for those people who live in country areas who do not have the benefits of competition between the fuel companies and who do not have the benefits of the dumping regime that the fuel companies have in the city areas?

The parliamentary secretary may take the time to explain to those people why they will have to pay more. Why, for one of the first times in the history of this nation, is the government—particularly a coalition government—putting in place policy that will discriminate against country people? The parliamentary secretary may also like to explain why the National Party and that branch of the National Party, the National Farmers Federation, are participating in this farce, where they are endorsing an increase in petrol prices for country people.

The parliamentary secretary may also like to let the people of Australia know, particularly country people, why the cash flow arrangements that will occur with the transfer of the rebate—what was originally called the diesel rebate—will now come under due consideration through the BAS. I understand we have a deferment of two years before that guillotine comes down on the farming community of Australia. The parliamentary secretary may take the time to explain why that is good for farmers and why farmers, who under the reckoning of anybody in this place do not know owe that tax, will have to pay that tax at the point of purchase and then wait three months or longer for the receipt of that money from the government. Why will that have to come into place?

I note the member for Hunter made mention of the fact that there are many people on the government side who talk about biofuels, ethanol, biodiesel and a whole range of other additives that could be used for a more environmental and healthy fuel source, but they are not here today and they were not here last week. The ones that were here last week—and the member for Gilmore is one that I have great respect for—made some very important points, including the very points that I made about the fuel excise legislation last week, and then they voted for it in this parliament. I think it is about time that the country members on the government benches start to stand up for the blubberings that they carry on with outside this parliament.

The parliamentary secretary may like to explain a few of those issues in his reply. Why are the BAS arrangements required? Why the Fuel Sales Grant Scheme has expired and discrimination against country motorists is required? Why is the government putting in place a scheme that will cause country motorists to pay more at the bowser? He might like to explain why there are no participants, why he has not mentioned the biofuels debate and why the broader debate on energy needs for Australia is being completely ignored by this government. (Time expired)

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