Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to the first, I am happy to take that on notice and refer that question to Minister Combet. In relation to the second, that is a question that goes to the discretion that the environment minister, who now has a much longer title, holds under the EPBC Act. It is not the practice of this government—and I have made this clear in this chamber on previous occasions—to be interfering in that statutory discretion, and I do not intend to commence doing so now. We have said very clearly as a government that we believe that a carbon price is the most efficient way for us to ensure that businesses and the whole of the economy take into account the costs of climate change. We believe it is an important economic reform. We are working through processes to ensure that this can be achieved in a way that reflects common ground in this parliament and, hopefully, in the Australian community.