Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The Rudd Labor government is committed to the principle that any action on tackling climate change should ensure the greatest cost effectiveness and fairness in spreading the burden of reducing emissions. We say action on climate change should support industries make the transition to a low pollution future while at the same time assisting households adjust to a price on carbon. There are risks and costs, quite apart from the devastating impact of unchecked climate change on the environment and on the economy. As I said, this was an approach well recognised by the former Prime Minister Mr Howard and we should acknowledge in the spirit of bipartisanship the important role and contribution that he made in this regard. A very different kind of risk is the opportunity cost if we fail to position Australia for the low carbon future. Those who offer no alternatives, the do-nothing brigade, for example— (Time expired)