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Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Page: 8469

Senator LUNDY (Australian Capital Territory—Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) (10:11): That is just a ridiculous question. You are obviously trying to move away from sensible questions on to making political statements like this. I believe that industry generally in Australia will in fact be strengthened—

Senator McKenzie: A point of clarification from you, Mr Chairman. My voice raised at the end of the statement, indicating it was a question, and I am sure Hansard will reflect that and there will be a question mark after it. It was actually a question, not a comment.

The CHAIRMAN: We will take that as a question.

Senator LUNDY: My previous statement stands. I think a political point is being made. I believe that these provisions and the implementation of the clean energy bills will strengthen all of these industries, because they will put Australia at the forefront—

Senator Ronaldson: So I take it from this there are job losses.

Senator LUNDY: No, you cannot say there are job losses. You cannot just make it up in the course of the debate. The issue here is that all of these measures, as the opposition well know, will strengthen industry right across Australia, including preparing us for an economy that has low emissions. Scoff as they may, the opposition know full well that the clean energy bills that the government is putting forward provide Australia the opportunity to put our best foot forward. We will be able to achieve low pollution and the targets that we have discussed over many years now.

Senator Bernardi: You went to the last election opposed to this.

Senator LUNDY: The other point I would like to make when the opposition stops interjecting is that this debate has had a significant work-out for many years now. Many of these issues have been traversed in great detail. I will certainly do my best to respond to specific questions about the impact on the dairy industry. I think I demonstrated that, but questions like this just take you back down to the bottom of the barrel. It would be nice if we allowed Senator Xenophon some time to debate his amendments this morning as well. I know he has many. I am prepared to respond to his amendments and I presumed he would be given the opportunity by the opposition to proceed through those forthwith, given the opposition has no more amendments.