15-December-2008
Portfolio Media Releases, Emissions Trading Scheme
MARIUS BENSON: Andrew Robb it seems pretty clear from the reports that the Government is going to announce a range of cuts for emissions from between 5% and 25% depending on what the world does. Is that a sensible way to approach it?
ANDREW ROBB: Well I think not only with the target but I suspect with a lot of the other detail if running true to form, there will be a fair bit of smoke and mirrors about the White Paper. It’s why I think we and others need to take time to properly consider what’s in this document. You know, I think it’s, the Government needs to take a big, deep breath and start to take a more measured approach to much of what they are doing.
MARIUS BENSON: But far from rushing anything, if all the reports are correct and it seems likely that there is a clear consensus on what the Government will say. It’s effectively saying we are going to wait and see what the world does in Copenhagen next year and that’s exactly what you have been saying they should do.
ANDREW ROBB: Well the point is that, they see what will happen with Copenhagen, they need to see the US President will do and can do. They need to see what will be the impact of the financial meltdown. So, these things will play out over the next year or two years, or three years and to now, you know, be very prescriptive about what will be done in 19 months time when they start this scheme. It does create a lot of uncertainty and it is rushing the scheme.
MARIUS BENSON: But it’s hardly rushing and it’s anything but prescriptive to say we will have a range from 5% to 25%, it seems the Government is leaving the door open to doing exactly what you have been advocating.
ANDREW ROBB: Well this is my point. They are putting in place a scheme and yet they don’t know, they’ve got no idea really of where the target will finish up. Even at 5%, even at 5% it will mean that one in every six tonnes of our annual emissions will have to go by 2020. That’s a huge adjustment. Then, then we are really stuck with a situation where even at 5% we are going to impose huge cost on business which are not imposed on our competitors. Now this is a situation…
MARIUS BENSON: Can I just ask you? Are you saying 5% is too much?
ANDREW ROBB: No I am saying that 5% is a big ask, 5% is a big ask. It’s one in every six tonnes of our annual emissions by 2020. That is a huge adjustment process. Now if the rest of the world has not signed up then even the 5% is going to be a big ask.
MARIUS BENSON: But if the scientists are right Mr Robb can I just ask? If the scientists are right, 5% is not nearly enough to deal with climate change and you said yourself that you accept the scientific views.
ANDREW ROBB: Yes but the point is Marius and everyone agrees including the Government. That Australia can’t solve climate change by itself, it needs a global solution.
MARIUS BENSON: And is the Opposition ready to use its numbers in senate to amend or propose amendments to any Government legislation in this area?
ANDREW ROBB: Now look we will take a considered approach to this. In the Green Paper the devil was in the detail and we expect that will be the case again. We will have a look at this over the next few weeks and have a considered view before we make any sort of detailed response to this proposal. We aim to be constructive in this process, we aim to be very constructive but it is a huge issue for our country. It is one of the biggest structural changes that will confront Australia in decades and the Prime Minister has said himself ‘the world changed as we know it’ a few weeks ago but if he really believes that, then we will need to look at the implications of this financial meltdown, on the ability of business to, on the ability of business to be able to absorb these sorts of changes and we need to look very closely what’s going to happen around the rest of the world in terms of their engagement in any such scheme.
MARIUS BENSON: Andrew Robb thank you very much.
ANDREW ROBB: My pleasure.
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620