Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

It seems that the European Union has no problem identifying the amount of money they think needs to be on the table as start-up finance. Japan has no problem. The UK has no problem. One of the big problems, though, is that the developing countries are beginning to think that Australia is not negotiating in good faith, because you are not acknowledging the quantum that needs to be on the table globally, let alone talking about the appropriate burden share. I note that you are rejecting the notion of even putting final support to developing countries into the object clause of the legislation. So, firstly, my question is: is the money that is provided for developing countries going to come out of public funding and not be related to receipts from the scheme in any way? Are you saying that it will be publicly funded? Are receipts from the scheme in any way directed to overseas funding?

Secondly, I would like to know from the minister whether Australia is supporting a tax on aviation or bunker fuel in order to be part of a private sector contribution to a fund that might be able to be directed in the way that I am suggesting. Can the minister at least confirm that there will be no global treaty unless there is a fair allocation of funding to developing countries to allow them to adapt and to mitigate as much as possible? Can she be clear about where the money will come from, if it is not going to be in any way connected to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme?