Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That, in relation to proceedings on the Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the True-up Shortfall Levy (General) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the True-up Shortfall Levy (Excise) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Climate Change Authority (Abolition) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 [No. 2], the Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates and Other Amendments) Bill 2013 [No. 2], and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Abolition) Bill 2014, so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring:

(1) the resumption of debate on the second readings of the bills being called on together;

(2) at the conclusion of the second reading debate (a) one question being put on any amendments moved to motions for the second readings by opposition Members and then without delay, (b) any necessary questions being put on amendments moved by any other Member, and (c) one question being put on the second readings of the bills together;

(3) if the second readings of the bills have been agreed to, messages from the Governor-General recommending appropriations for any of the bills being announced together;

(4) the consideration in detail stages, if required, on the bills being taken together for a period not exceeding 20 minutes at which time any questions necessary to complete the detail stage being put;

(5) at the conclusion of the detail stage, one question being put on the third readings of the bills together; and

(6) any variation to this arrangement to be made only by a motion moved by a Minister.

The government is determined to remove the carbon tax and we are very disappointed, as I think the Australian public are, that Labor insists, with their Green allies, that the carbon tax not only remain in place but actually increase on 1 July. There was an election last year. That election very clearly was a referendum on the carbon tax. As you pointed out, Madam Speaker, many times over the previous few years, when you were not the Speaker, the carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme claimed most of those proponents of it in high office and last year in September another one was defeated, this time the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and before him Julia Gillard.

The government therefore feels that the parliament is well aware of the position of the government and the opposition. There has been a long, drawn-out debate on a matter that has already been decided by this House and has been rejected by the Senate, and we are insisting on our changes. Our reforms bill does not require a weeklong or longer debate as occurred the first time. So we will on Thursday debate the clean energy legislation and pass the clean energy legislation, and we have put this debate management motion to ensure that that can be done on Thursday.

I should inform members that in the interests of allowing some debate on not only this bill but also the Minerals Resource Rent Tax it would be very unlikely, in fact well-nigh impossible, that the House will rise at the usual time on Thursday.

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