15-December-2008
Portfolio Media Releases, Emissions Trading Scheme
Topics: Emissions Trading White Paper
DAVID SPEERS: Andrew Robb (inaudible) the Coalition will support?
ANDREW ROBB: Well this is a very complex document there are some 800 pages in the document and very lot of complexity, a lot of changes on the Green Paper as I understand and we will take a considered view over the next few weeks and come back some time in February, later in February and report you know, whether we’ll seek amendments, whether we support, whether we in fact oppose it. But, it’s very important I think it’s such a big issue that we spend some time and some expertise. We have now commission an independent review by a major economic group in Canberra and that will be taking place over the next six weeks.
DAVID SPEERS: So that’s the Centre for International Economics, you’ve commission to review. Will their report to you be binding? Will you take their advice on whether or not to support this?
ANDREW ROBB: Well we’ll be informed, heavily informed by what the Centre for International Economics has to say. They are a very experienced group and they will provide in many ways a unique prospective because the Government has consistently refused to model or to assess the impact of the global financial crisis on the ability of companies to in fact, you know, introduce a scheme, this scheme. And secondly, all the Government’s work has assumed that the rest of the world will in fact you know join some sort of global deal on climate change, when in fact that may be in doubt. So we’ve got the Centre for International Economics to look at those possibilities and what impact that would have on the White Paper and its outcome. So we will be informed by that and we will be informed also by our contact with dozens of industries and companies, companies that we’ve looked at and talked with over the last few months.
DAVID SPEERS: But the changes to the Green Paper that you referred to earlier, do include more compensation for those industries and a target range now that’s been set of 5 to 15 per cent which many would agree is more towards the conservative, cautious end of the spectrum so is this the sort of change from the Green Paper that you would at least welcome?
ANDREW ROBB: Well, look all I will say on this David, and I do want to be very constructive in all of this. This is a very important issue. We are committed to doing something of great consequence, as the Government is, the point is we just have to get this scheme right as once it is in place it will be very hard to make any significant changes. So, getting it right up front is very, very important.
DAVID SPEERS: Alright, but it doesn’t sound like you have any major criticism of this White Paper then so far.
ANDREW ROBB: Well David the fact of the matter is it is so complex, there’s 800 pages, and what we found last time with the Green Paper, the devil was in the detail.
DAVID SPEERS: You are not criticising the target range, you are not criticising the compensation mechanisms….
ANDREW ROBB: What I am saying is that we will approach all of those with an open mind. We will approach the start date, the targets that have been suggested but we will be heavily influenced in making an assessment on whether those things are appropriate or not, on whether this White Paper will lead to Australian companies being forced to go off-shore and in turn having emissions forced off-shore. So that is really the heavy criteria on which we will place any assessment over the next six or eight weeks. But we must look at this in a very considered and objective fashion and not rush into it.
DAVID SPEERS: You said that you have an open mind on the start date, now my understanding was you were pretty firm on not starting this scheme by 2010, that you wanted it 2011 or 2012. Are you now saying you are flexible on that, that you are willing to consider a 2010 start up?
ANDREW ROBB: All I am saying is all the reasons, all the reasons we have advanced now for well over 12 months as to why 2010 start date in our view is far too soon and is rushed and is likely to lead to mistakes, all of those reasons will be part of the mix that we will assess this White Paper against.
DAVID SPEERS: So it is possible that you will agree to a 2010 start up for an emissions trading scheme if it is found not to have the damaging impact that you fear it might.
ANDREW ROBB: Well what I am saying is that if the Government has made major changes and has accommodated a lot of the concerns that have been raised by business, and we don’t know that yet, we don’t know that at all. If they have dealt with that, we will approach this, that is my point, we will approach this with an open mind on targets, on start dates but very critically, very critically, we will be looking to see whether or not jobs are at risk in Australia and whether or not emissions and jobs are forced overseas because of the impact of this White Paper and the actions of others around the world.
DAVID SPEERS: Andrew Robb we appreciate your time, thank you.
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620