Senate debates

Monday, 30 November 2009

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges — Customs) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges — Excise) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges — General) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS Fuel Credits) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS Fuel Credits) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Amendment (Household Assistance) Bill 2009 [No. 2]

In Committee

2:44 pm

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

I do not think what you said was quite correct in terms of suggesting we are giving an incentive to knock forests down and then replant. Part 10 in the original bill—it is in the definition section, section 5—requires that as at 31 December 1989 the land stand was clear of trees. This is what is known as a Kyoto forest, I think. That deals with the incentive issue that you raised.

In addition, as a result of the amendments put forward by the government and policy commitments made by the government, we are providing an incentive for credit for regrowth again on land that has already been legally cleared between 1990 and 31 December 2008. There is not a suggestion that people could knock down trees now and then put in place a forest and get a credit. That is a separate policy issue to the policy issue you are putting, which is your party’s policy of opposition to forest management or forestry. I understand that, but that is not the government’s position. The government’s position is to maintain the regional forest agreements and to seek to strike that balance between productive use and conservation use.

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