Senator XENOPHON (9:53 AM) —My contribution on the Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Bill 2010 will be very brief. As an aside, I take this opportunity to congratulate Julia Gillard on her ascension as Australia’s 27th Prime Minister. Senator Milne has covered the areas that I wanted to cover in this bill. She is right: this bill is a welcome step but the bill ought to go further on mandatory disclosure. The low-hanging fruit in the debate around energy and reducing greenhouse gases is to have energy efficient buildings. That is very much the way forward. We ought to have a white certificate scheme that is mandatory. We ought to go much further than that, but at least this is a step in the right direction. I think we need to seriously consider including other buildings, not just the buildings included in this scheme. With those few words, I indicate my support for this bill. I will support the Greens amendment, but ultimately we need to have a white certificate scheme in this country, a mandatory scheme which will be very effective in reducing greenhouse emissions from energy inefficient buildings because it will require greater energy efficiency. In recent meetings I have had with those who are responsible for servicing air conditioners, for instance, there are great gains to be made by mandatory and detailed inspections of air-conditioning units to reduce the waste that occurs now through inefficient air-conditioning units. I have put my position on this and I now look forward to the passage of the bill.

Senator Milne —On a point of order, Mr Acting Deputy President: there have been a number of interjections across the chamber with regard to arrangements that have supposedly been made. I wish to indicate that nobody discussed with the Greens the proposal that we would speak for two or three minutes and that there would not be amendments or divisions. That was never discussed—

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT (Senator McGauran)—No, you are going on. That was never a point of order, so I will pull you up there.

Senator Milne —I thought it was important, though—

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT —No, there are other opportunities. It is not a point of order.