Senator BOSWELL (2:14 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Minister Wong. I refer the minister to a letter she wrote me asking for help to promote a schools competition on the topic ‘What does climate change mean to me?’ I ask the minister whether the climate change information pack going out to schools in the Bowen Basin, an area with livestock industries, in Queensland advises that many parents will lose their jobs as a result of the government’s flawed emissions trading scheme.

Senator WONG (Minister for Climate Change and Water) —It is perhaps a little unfortunate that the senator chooses to have a go on this issue. That is a competition which we initiated in government because I got so many letters from schoolchildren expressing their views about climate change—I have to say often more cogently than some parliamentarians, but that might be the case on a number of topics. There was an interest, in a number of schools that we spoke with, in the issue of climate change; and we thought it was a good thing to enable young people in Australia, if they wished—obviously this is entirely voluntary—to involve themselves in a competition where they could express themselves, from memory, either through a story, poetry or art, about what climate change meant to them. We are not prescriptive about it. Obviously people’s perceptions about what it will mean will differ depending on different experiences and also where they live in Australia.

Senator Boswell, I would say that if you do not want to be involved in promoting this then that is entirely a matter for you. This is entirely voluntary. But we did take the view that a lot of young Australians do express very clearly their views about the importance of this issue for their future. These are the sorts of letters I do get quite regularly from schoolchildren around Australia. The point of this competition is to build on that interest that so many young Australians have shown on a topic which is of relevance to them. The people who are potentially the most affected by climate change are our children and our grandchildren. Sometimes I suspect that makes this a politically difficult issue, but that is the reality of the facts. (Time expired)

Senator BOSWELL —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the minister be writing to these schools to advise that the government’s climate change response will cost 10,000 coal jobs, force the closure of 16 coalmines and cost the state government substantial royalties?

Senator WONG (Minister for Climate Change and Water) —As I said, we have a competition to enable children to express themselves, if they wish, about what climate change means to them.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

Senator WONG —It is if they wish, Senator Abetz, because we are not requiring people to. Clearly this is a competition, so I will take that interjection. In terms of the issue that Senator Boswell raises, I would have thought it would be very clear from the way the government is approaching not only this policy area but all policy areas that jobs remain the central priority for this government. I note that those opposite are the ones who voted against the stimulus package. In terms of the CPRS decision, again I refer to Senator Nash’s question where she was essentially criticising the government for adopting the position that Mr Turnbull had argued for—which was a deferral. We have delayed the CPRS by one year. (Time expired)

Senator BOSWELL —Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. As some regional economies are forecast to decline by 20 per cent as a result of the government’s ETS, can the minister guarantee that no school will shut down as a result of the decline in jobs and the number of people in these areas?

Senator WONG (Minister for Climate Change and Water) —Senator Boswell, what I can guarantee is that the government will continue to do what it has done—that is, to approach the design of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme being very mindful of the need to support jobs today. If you look at the announcements we have made—of a deferral of one year given the current global economic crisis, of a fixed price start to enable a phased-in approach to the commencement of the scheme and of additional assistance to the emissions intensive trade exposed sector in terms of what we have described as a global recession buffer—then you see that these are all decisions which are about supporting jobs through what we believe is a responsible transition.