Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am shooketh, President! My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Senator McAllister. The government has issued its Consultation Regulatory Impact Analysis on a proposal to reduce speed limits to as low as 70 kilometres per hour on rural roads. The government's consultation cost benefit analysis says:

There is evidence to suggest increased speed can increase fuel consumption and therefore increase CO2 emissions.

It also says:

The value of GHG emissions, therefore, is not internalised in the market, which means individuals do not make decisions based on the overall impact. This is a classic market failure, making the value of emissions difficult to estimate accurately.

Is government reducing speed limits on rural roads so that it can reach its net zero goals, and why are people only in rural areas being asked to reduce their speeds to reach Labor's net zero target?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cadell, I can put the question to Minister McAllister, but I would only ask her to answer it in the best way she can. The correct minister is Senator McCarthy. I am happy to direct the question to Senator McCarthy, but equally you called—

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll redirect the question.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cadell. It's interesting that the focus is on speed limits. It makes you wonder just how fast these guys on the other side want to keep going. How many questions there have been around this has been really, really interesting. This was a Nationals policy in 2018 when the member for New England and then the member for Riverina held the infrastructure portfolio. Suggestions that our government have suddenly decided it's time to change regional speed limits—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister McCarthy, please resume your seat. I can't hear a word. That means, on my left, there is way too much noise.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Suggestions that our government has suddenly decided that it's time to change regional speed limits are wrong. Priority action No. 1 of their road safety action plan was to consult on changing speed limits.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left!

Senator McKenzie! I've called order. That applies to you.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Priority action No. 1 of their road safety action plan was to consult on changing speed limits on high-risk regional roads. We're putting their idea out to consultation for Australians to settle it. The other part of this scare campaign is to say: 'We just need to fix the roads. We want potholes filled and roads improved. That's why we're investing more than ever in making our roads safer.' They're not interested in making our roads safer. We've doubled funding for the Roads to Recovery Program.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a point of order on relevance. The question was about the reference to carbon emission reductions as a benefit in the government's consultation paper. The minister hasn't gone anywhere near that.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan, as you well know, that was not the only part of the question.

Order, Senator Ayres! Senator Hanson-Young, no. I had Senator Canavan on his feet with a point of order. Before I even had a chance to finish my response to that, we had interjections across the chamber.

Senator Paterson, I've called you way too many times today. Minister McCarthy is being relevant, Senator Canavan. However, I will continue to listen carefully. That means no interjections, Senator McKenzie.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks for your protection, President. To let the other side know: we've doubled funding for the Roads to Recovery Program to $1 billion per year to help councils upgrade their roads. We've reversed the Liberal freeze on highway maintenance funding to get on with fixing potholes and resurfacing our national highways. The coalition could have done that in their wasted decade of government, but they didn't. We're making big investments in our roads, making them safer and more efficient. It's no thanks to those opposite.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cadell, first supplementary?

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Consultation regulatory impact analysis says that the government plans to apply a carbon price to show the benefits of lower carbon emissions from reduced speeds on rural roads. Why is the government applying up to a $179 carbon tax on people who drive on country roads?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said in my previous response, it was priority action No. 1 in your plan to review speed limits on high-risk regional roads. Can I just say—

Well, if you know the answer, I don't need to speak.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator McKenzie?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on relevance. Senator Cadell's questions have gone to the government's own consultation paper, and the minister has not come near it.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant. I believe she's answered the first supplementary question. Senator Cadell, second supplementary?

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, will the government rule out using—

Honourable Senator:

An honourable senator interjecting—

Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party, Shadow Minister for Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's hurtful, sir! Minister, will the government rule out any calculation of carbon emissions reductions in its decision regulatory impact analysis? Can the government commit that any decision to reduce speed limits will be purely based on safety concerns, not the ideological pursuit of Labor's net zero?

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When we talk about the ideological pursuit of net zero, we know where the Nationals sit but we have no idea where the Liberals sit on net zero. In fact, if you listen to the media or if you go up to—

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on relevance. The question went to a government decision and the release of a decision regulatory impact analysis. Immediately the minister started talking about an opposition party. I don't think that is relevant. I also seek leave to table the consultation regulatory impact assessment—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is not granted.

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

which includes a carbon tax of $179 and which includes seeking to reduce speed limits—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Canavan, resume your seat. It is hard for me to take you seriously when you stand up and make a point of order if you then deliberately ignore me when I try to seek order and you continue on to make a statement. I have said time and time in this place: make your point of order and don't make a statement.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First, in relation to the document, Senator Canavan, there are courtesies, as you are aware. If those are observed, our general view is usually to be amenable to tabling. Those courtesies can be extended if the whips are consulted in the usual way. In relation to point of order itself, I would humbly submit that a discussion about net zero ideology probably does invite a discussion about the opposition.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan, the words 'net zero ideology' were part of the question. I will listen carefully to the minister. If she's not addressing the question I will draw her to it.

Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've finished.