Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to ask questions to Senator Cormann specifically based on the fact that this is the in-committee stage. All the senators who have contributed to this in-committee stage this morning have asked questions, and yet Senator Cormann filibusters himself, as a minister, by standing up and saying that the contributions that have been made, the questions that have been asked, by senators on this side are filibustering. They are not filibustering, and they are not erroneous assertions.

I do take to task Senator Cormann's remarks in that regard. They show that he is certainly not serious when it comes to this in-committee stage of scrutinising what is before us in this chamber. He has umpteen advisers sitting there, so he has all the support he needs to get the answers to questions from Senator Cameron, Senator Lines, Senator Milne and me—and there will be more senators, I am sure, who have specific questions. He has support from those advisers to provide answers to this Senate.

But if Minister Cormann is not up to the task of answering these detailed questions, then maybe he should pass it on to Senator Birmingham, who, I know, does have knowledge in this field of environmental policy. In fact, I think I would be right in saying that Senator Birmingham supports an emissions trading scheme, as I know a number of Liberal senators do—in fact, I think it was a unity ticket, once upon a time.

My question to the minister, Senator Cormann, specifically goes to the price pay-through mechanism. That is something I asked Senator Abetz about on Monday in question time. I would like to know if a regulatory impact statement has been undertaken—and of course I am going to the fact that the PUP third amendment is now part of the government's bill. How many entities will be subject to this regime? Senator Abetz answered by saying that he anticipated that there was no such RIS done. He also answered by saying that there were about 60 entities. So could I have clarity on the number of entities and also the list of those entities, so that we make it very clear that we are talking about electricity and gas suppliers when we are talking about the entities component of this bill.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Order, Senator Singh. Sorry to interrupt you, but can I just remind you and, with respect, all senators that we are dealing with opposition amendments on sheet 7527, of schedule 1, specifically related to emissions trading. So could you confine your questions, and could the minister confine his answers, to that area. Could we just confine the discussion to schedule 1 and the opposition's amendments on sheet 7527.