Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I will follow up with some further information for Senator Milne. For the total area planted in number of hectares in 2007 the calculation is 3,000 hectares; in 2008 it is 15,500 hectares; in 2009 it is 18,000 hectares; in 2010 it is 21,500 hectares; and in 2011 it is 23,500 hectares. On the secondary question, I am told that the ones you refer to are a voluntary mechanism. I will get more information, because I am not sure that that completely answers your question. It may not answer the point that you believe you are making and that you have made on a number of occasions. We are happy to give you all the information that we have but, no matter how many times we go around the chamber, I do not know that we are going to solve the point that you are advancing, which is that whatever we have is not good enough. We will give you all the information we have, but if in your judgement that is not sufficient I do not know that another hour or two of discussion will actually change your view. We believe the process that we are undertaking through the emissions trading scheme, a green paper, will address a number of the concerns you are raising, but we are happy to give you any information we have that is available, Senator Milne.