Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, I did speak quite specifically to the second amendment. I indicated that the government was not supporting it because it has the effect of imposing additional conditions before a tax deduction can be claimed for the establishment of carbon sink forests. When this issue was raised following the Senate committee inquiry in September 2008, the Minister for Climate Change and Water amended the guidelines to address concerns from the opposition and crossbench senators when the Senate last considered this measure. The government believes that its intention to closely monitor carbon sink forest establishment activity under this legislation suffices.