11-December-2008
Portfolio Media Releases, Emissions Trading Scheme
Topics: Emissions Trading Scheme and the Coalition.
KIERAN GILBERT: Andrew Robb thanks for your time can we start by clearing up the Coalition policy on an emissions trading scheme, you’ve said it shouldn’t be introduced before 2011 probably by 2012, but now as I understand that you’re arguing it could be pushed back even further given the current economic circumstances.
ANDREW ROBB: Well we announced in July a very clear position out of the party room that we should approach this in a methodical and responsible manner and it shouldn’t be introduced before 2011 at the very earliest but probably by 2012 but when it enjoys the broad support of industry and protects vulnerable Australian households. Well of course, that is very much consistent with the concerns that have emerged in recent months with the financial meltdown and what it’s going to do to jobs and in particular with the real economy over the next year or two or three and we as a responsible opposition must take account of that impact, that financial meltdown and of course the Treasury modelling which has occurred since that the decision that we took in July, the Treasury modelling avoided any assessment of the global financial meltdown so the Government’s stabbing in the dark at the present time and we have got great concerns that no proper consideration is being given to what will happen in our economy especially with jobs, you’ve heard about Rio Tinto this morning. I mean, what’s ahead of us? This needs to be factored into any consideration of start dates, design of the scheme and all the rest of it.
KIERAN GILBERT: But under a Coalition policy now as it sounds an ETS, emission trading scheme, might not be up and running if the coalition had their way until say 2014, 2015. You’re pushing it out until the distance without any sort of clarity.
ANDREW ROBB: Well what we have said quite consistently is 2010 the Government’s timelines is just, is just, it’s never been appropriate it’s ridiculous in the current circumstances. We are only 19 months away from the start date that the Government wants to embark on. There is absolutely no sign of the rest of the world agreeing to some sort of deal on climate change and everyone including the Government has told us endlessly that you know, you don’t solve climate change with an Australian solution, you solve it with a global solution. Everyone agrees on that and yet the Government is running full speed ahead to introduce a scheme totally ignorant of what impact that might have jobs and totally ignorant how the rest of the world may get involved it is reckless in the extreme. It is irresponsible in our way, the way in which the Government is pursuing this and we need to sit back and calmly look at what is going on in the rest of the world with their and the propensity to engage with any sort of scheme, we need to look at what will be the impact of the financial crisis, this is the responsible thing to do.
KIERAN GILBERT: There are elements of the business community, and certainly this is the argument the Government makes, that they’re going ahead with a 2010 start date because business wants certainty as to how any emissions trading scheme would work. Now if you do you have a lower ambition at the start, a softer start, however you want to describe it, isn’t it better to give business that sort of certainty and to do it earlier rather than the lack of a timeline or deadline under your policy.
ANDREW ROBB: Well business made those comments on the assumption that the Treasury modelling would consider how the rest of the world might engage in this and if they didn’t what that meant and also the economic implications for Australia of the financial meltdown. Well of course the Treasury modelling arrived five months late and didn’t consider either of those outcomes. That creates huge uncertainty and we are now seeing today in the newspapers, the Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout saying that the Government must defer this scheme, Mitch Hooke from the Minerals Council, saying very much the same thing. There is a growing concern, we have the Australian Workers Union, Paul Howes from there, making very strong statements about the impact on jobs and the real economy. And for the Government to blindly to go on with some sort of political agenda, ideological agenda, in the face of all this is totally irresponsible.
KIERAN GILBERT: Ok just finally Andrew Robb, the Nationals have caused some headaches in recent days, some divisions in the Coalition, what’s your message to Barnaby Joyce and the Nationals, or as a former Liberal Party Director yourself, can you understand why he is trying to differentiate himself from the Liberals as a representative of the bush?
ANDREW ROBB: Look Kieran we’ve had as a Coalition over 60 years, we have had off and on we’ve had issues and we’ve got an issue we have to deal with now. This is not an unusual thing but the fact is that the Coalition is and has been a powerful and enduring political force and I have got no doubt we will work through this, disunity is death. We need to and I am sure we can find as we have done on many occasions over 60 years, we’ve found a way of working together and still accommodating the perspectives and the position of each party, respecting that. So I think it is a matter we can work through, we must work through and we will continue to be a very powerful force as a Coalition in this country.
KIERAN GILBERT: Andrew Robb I know you have to get a plane, I appreciate your time this morning. Thanks.
ANDREW ROBB: Thanks very much Kieran, goodbye.
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620