Senate debates
Monday, 7 November 2011
Bills
Clean Energy Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Tax Laws Amendments) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Shortfall Charge — General) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Auctions) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge — Fixed Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (International Unit Surrender Charge) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Customs) Bill 2011, Clean Energy (Charges — Excise) Bill 2011, Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011, Climate Change Authority Bill 2011; In Committee
5:34 pm
Matt Thistlethwaite (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source
I find it quite amazing that we are still, at this stage, debating these issues of delay and the costs associated with the scheme, because we have been over this issue so many times in this place. The fact is that all of the expert advice from economists and scientists states that the longer we delay taking action on carbon pricing, the greater the cost for our economy. The fact is that the cheapest, most efficient means of reducing emissions in our economy is through a market based mechanism, a philosophy that used to be believed by those opposite but, since there has been a change in the leadership, no longer is the policy of the Liberal Party. There have been numerous studies, many of them parliamentary in nature—37-odd inquiries—where the issue has been canvassed: the fact that carbon pricing is the cheapest way to go, and the delays associated with that. And of course there are studies from economists.
Senator Cormann interjecting—
Senator Wong interjecting—
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