Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Abetz—he also said, ‘Not the senate.’ Let’s talk about the US senate. Ten senators this month wrote to President Obama advocating a border adjustment mechanism. They said: ‘We write to express our strong support for the inclusion of a package of initiatives, including a border adjustment mechanism to ensure the viability and effectiveness of any climate change policy crafted by Congress.’ This is a live issue in the discussions internationally and if those opposite cared to actually keep up with the facts they would already know that. The Prime Minister was quite right to raise this. I again emphasise that this is not Australia’s position. We do not support going down the protectionist path. That is not how the bill before the Senate, which those opposite voted against, was framed. But this is an issue— (Time expired)