Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor will be supporting the Excise Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014. The Product Stewardship for Oil Program encourages increased collection and recycling of used oil in Australia by providing oil recyclers with product stewardship benefits. The Excise Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014 and the Customs Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014 amend the Excise Tariff Act 1921 and the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to increase the rate of excise and excise equivalent customs duty applying for oils from 5.449c per litre or kilogram to 8.5c per litre or per kilogram to address the cost of the PSO scheme.

The opposition supports any move to ensure thoughtful and sustainable use of our precious natural resources. Unfortunately, the government's commitment to protecting our natural environment does not extend much further than tokenistic gestures. The government simply has no credibility when it comes to the environment. Its record makes one ask why the environment minister does not go the same way as the minister for science in this government. The record is astounding, ranging from moving backwards on climate change to risking our reputation for outstanding world heritage icons. The government disallowed the endangered community listing of the River Murray from the Darling to the sea. The government went against all reason and all advice and sneakily had the world's largest marine reserve system re-proclaimed to undo the management plans that gives it effect. The government has begun the process of handing over environmental approval powers to the states to give Campbell Newman, of all people, control over the Great Barrier Reef and to give Colin Barnett control of Ningaloo Reef. Talk about environmental vandalism! The policy that we are debating—the Excise Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014—will increase the levy for certain oils in order to encourage the use of recycled oils and the increased collection and recycling of used oils. It will put a price on oils, which will achieve an environmental outcome. We say let's take that policy and put it to work with carbon pollution. We say let's internalise the externalities and actually make a difference to carbon pollution.

Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cameron for his generous and temperate speech, and I commend these bills to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bills read a second time.