Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment Participation, Senator Arbib. Given evidence to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics that real wages growth will be forced lower by the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, has the minister made a representation to the Minister for Climate Change and Water expressing concern about this?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is only my first week, so you can imagine, Senator McGauran, that I have not yet made that many representations at all. In terms of the CPRS, though, the whole-of-government response and our approach to the CPRS has been about protecting jobs. That is our whole approach to it. That is why we are making a transition to a CPRS.

At the same time as that, the government has been—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Resume your seat, Senator Arbib. When we have quiet we will resume question time.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the same time as that, the government has been working with industry and with the environmental movement to get the balance right. It is not an easy thing to get the balance right because, when you talk to business, the one thing they do want in terms of the CPRS is certainty. That is what they want. They want certainty. That is what the government is working to provide them. The current plan—and this might surprise some of the senators on the other side—actually has the support of the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group on the one side and, on the environmental side, the WWF and the ACF. So we have struck the right balance to project jobs.

At the same time, this is not just about the CPRS. We are also working to create green jobs—new jobs in environmentally sustainable areas. That is the future. They are the jobs of the future. The sort of stuff you are seeing over in the United States with President Obama is what we are working on. In my own area, the stimulus package and the energy efficiency package in relation to pink batts and gold batts will also create jobs. (Time expired)

Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given further evidence to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics that jobs will, and I quote, ‘undoubtedly’ be lost in the coalmining sector as a result of the government’s CPRS, has the minister made representations or will the minister make representations to the ailing climate change minister seeking changes to the scheme?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government and, I know, the good minister have been working together with all sections—the business community and the environmental community—

Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about the workers?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to ensure that employment is protected.

Government Senators:

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Arbib, resume your seat. I need order on both sides before we will proceed. Order on my right!

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are obviously providing a great deal of industry assistance to ensure that companies in those exposed areas can make the transition, and that is why we are not starting this for another 12 months. It is all about jobs—that is what the government is all about; that is what our changes are about: protecting the environment, fighting climate change and at the same time making a huge reform into the future. The green jobs we talk about are something that you on the other side have no idea about. (Time expired)

Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that the minister has not and will not make representations on behalf of Australian workers against the CPRS scheme, will the minister advise how lower real wages and higher unemployment serve to increase employment participation?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, I have already, in a previous answer, had to go back to the past and talk about Work Choices; now we are here talking about the climate change sceptics on the other side. Really they do not want to talk about fighting climate change, and there is a good reason why they do not want to talk about fighting climate change: because they do not actually believe in it. They do not believe in climate change. They do not think it has been caused by man-made effects. When you listen to some of the senators on the other side you hear them say, ‘Climate change is a natural phenomena.’

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can see my time is winding up. We have taken steps all along the way with industry to ensure that jobs are protected throughout the transition to the CPRS. That is the sole focus of what the government are doing. That is why we are providing industry assistance and that is why we are working with industry. Again, AIG is supporting it—as is the BCA.