VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       And for more on this the Opposition Spokesman for Emissions Trading Design, Andrew Robb, joins us now.

 

                                     Andrew Robb, Good Morning and thanks for your time.

 

ANDREW ROBB:       Yeah, my pleasure. Good morning Virginia. 

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       So what’s shifted in the mind of Malcolm Turnbull and also the   Opposition?   Have movements and decisions made in the United States had a great impact on the way you’re seeing the design of an ETS here in Australia?

 

ANDREW ROBB:        Well there’s two things about it… Firstly we have been saying now for, well, many months that we should not conclude any sort of bill in Australia until the United States, you know, the shape of the United States bill is clearer. Now the first step of that occurred on Friday when the bill went through the lower house. The content of that had been known for some time. There’s still other major steps to take place with that bill to go through the Senate in the United States. But with the United States being one third of all of the emissions in the world - we’re only one percent. Then, it’s absolutely critical to be in step, if you like, with the United States, not be well out ahead, otherwise we’ll be very uncompetitive. Now, we are concerned that we be informed by what’s happening in the United States and other developments around the world. Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday that we are prepared and looking to negotiate in the months ahead. Now, that is not different to our position that we have maintained for some time now. We are concerned to get this scheme right. It is the biggest deliberate structural change in our history and it’s very important that we get the nature of the bill right so that we actually do reduce emissions but don’t do material and, you know, irreversible damage to major industry and jobs.

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       Well, the… your leader Malcolm Turnbull clearly said over the weekend   that when the, when parliament returned in August, you’d be in a position to present amendments which you hope the government will accept. But just looking at the way the Australian population…

 

ANDREW ROBB:        … no, no I’m sorry Virginia he…

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       … that’s the quote that I’m reading from the paper is that he, is that you’d be in a position to present amendments – not true?

 

ANDREW ROBB:        No, he was asked, well I’ve spoken to him since and I’m very clear on what was in his head, and I’ve read what he’s said, and it’s consistent with what he’s told me subsequently. And that is that the Coalition is looking to find what amendments would be necessary to make what is at the moment a deeply flawed scheme, something that would be acceptable. He did not put a time frame on it. We have said all along our preference is to wait beyond Copenhagen, and, until we know more broadly the shape of the United States scheme, and until we do some modelling. We’ve had to commission the modelling ourselves because the government won’t do it. So he’s not putting a time-frame on it. But we are very constructively looking, and have done for some months now, to try and get this scheme right. I’m off to the United States in a few days time and to Beijing, again to be better informed about, you know, what the rest of the world’s doing so we’re not out of step with them.

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       Alright well I’m not trying to tie you down to a false timetable here and it seems this whole discussion is stretching out to an endless close anyway. But look I, I did just want to put to you anyway on the issue of amendments, the government has had it’s say on what it will and wont negotiate on after a period of negotiation. What the Australian population, according to one opinion poll, is clearly saying today, that the ETS, that scheme as announced, and as proposed by the government right now – sixty-five percent of Australians, according to the Nielsen poll accept that as it is right now. Now isn’t that something that as an opposition you have to listen to seriously?

 

ANDREW ROBB:       Virginia I’d say to you that 95 per cent of Australians would not have the foggiest idea what is in that bill…

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       Now what do you base that on?

 

ANDREW ROBB:        Well from all of the contact I’ve had with people around the country which has been extensive. I’ve met...I’m just saying to you that people are saying and quite legitimately are saying is that they want something done on climate change. We accept that we had a bill, we had a bill in front of the parliament 12 months before the government had a proposal. We are looking to do something in a very constructive way what we have said though that the bill that the government has come up with is deeply flawed.

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       But let’s be clear here when that figure of 65 per cent, those Australians looking at the emissions trading scheme as proposed right now unamended by the government. That’s acceptable to them, you don’t accept that view, they’re not to be listened to.

 

ANDREW ROBB:        No, what I accept is that the Australian community and we have accepted and we support it is that people want something done. Our responsibility as the opposition, we’re the ones who have got the capacity to look in detail at what the government has got on the table to confer widely with industry and green groups and others. This bill is friendless at the moment, the only people who supporting it at the moment is the government. The only people who support the detail are the government. We have a responsibility to keep the government accountable and to make sure that when bills do go through the house that they are in Australia’s interest and they are the best bill possible. This is an issue of such significance that it is very important for us as an opposition, for the cross benchers, for the green party for all of the groups in the parliament to make sure this bill does what the government says it will do. At the moment it will cost lots of jobs and do very little about emissions.   At the moment it fails on all fronts so we have to get it right, we have to get it right and if we do that we will satisfy the will of the people but also have good policy.

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       Just finally on the opinion polls that have been published in papers right across the country today and in every opinion poll the position of your leader Malcolm Turnbull has crashed. His approval ratings now wallowing in unsustainable levels. Will he be the leader when Australia next goes to the poll?

 

ANDREW ROBB:        Yes, I have no doubt about that. I thought not withstanding the events of last week and with all the elements of it from the fake email, to the shadowy treasury official, to senate hearings and all the rest it assumed a soap of opera type atmosphere last week and I think that reflects what’s happened in the polls this week.

 

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       So you think it will come back?

 

ANDREW ROBB:       I do think, I think this when you get this soap opera type environment it’s unreal, when we settle back into issues such as the $300 billion debt and the government’s responses and what it will do to protect jobs and all the rest.   Those issues in the end will be what determines our position going into the next election I think Malcolm Turnbull has already shown he can prosecute that case very effectively over the last few weeks and I got no doubt I thought he handled himself under very difficult circumstances, very strongly last week and I am sure we will bounce back.

VIRGINIA TRIOLI:       Andrew Robb good to talk to you, thanks so much.

 

ANDREW ROBB:       Thanks Virginia.

 

 

Media contact:          Nicholas Troja, 0413 343 381