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

To facilitate debate here, we are dealing with government amendment (1) on sheet CA252, but the Australian Greens seek leave to move an amendment that is complementary, about which I have consulted all other members. I am seeking your guidance, Mr Temporary Chairman, because I would like the debate on the government’s amendments to be a cognate debate on the government’s amendment and the Greens amendment, which is on sheet CA253. The government’s amendment deals with the minister’s ability to change the multiplier and the Greens amendment enables the minister to deal with the size of the system. So those two things go together.

Leave granted.

I move Australian Greens amendment on sheet CA253:

(1)    Schedule 1, page 63 (before line 30), before item 120, insert:

119B  Subsection 23B(3)

Omit “the first 1.5kW”, substitute “not more than the first 3kW”.

I have nothing further to add other than to reiterate my previous remarks. They were that the government is moving to give the minister the ability to alter the multiplier in the regulations. I am moving that the minister be also able to change the size of the system. They are complementary amendments and they address the issue that I was referring to before the break—that is, the differential around Australia in terms of feed in and support and the likelihood that we may end up with three systems and a bit of debacle in the market. This amendment is addressed at allowing the minister to manage that scenario.