Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I think we need to go back to the initial premise, as I mentioned to Senator Joyce a moment ago. The basis for this legislation was not about impact on the biofuel industry; it was about remedying a loophole that existed that allowed companies to claim an excise rebate when they had not paid excise. That is the basis for it.

The issues relating to support for the biofuels industry are dealt with through other mechanisms and are not impacted by this piece of legislation. With all of the numbers that we have been talking about, the cleaner fuels grant and the energy grants are not impacted by this piece of legislation at all. The only impact from this legislation is the removal of the capacity to claim an excise rebate where excise has not been paid, for example, on a B49 blend of diesel. None of the other elements of this which might go to government policy and supporting or development of a biofuels industry are impacted by this piece of legislation. This legislation purely and simply deals with the closure of a loophole that exists that allows companies to claim an excise rebate in circumstances where they have not paid excise.