Senator JOYCE (Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (2:14 PM) —My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. Could the government please explain the statements by economics professor Ross Garnaut in his sixth upgrade report that Australian farmers will only be exempted from a carbon tax ‘from the beginning’ and that ‘ahead of its coverage’ the government will buy carbon emission offsets from the farm sector? Does this government have another plan, apart from the plan that it told the Australian people, to actually include farmers in its carbon tax net?

Senator WONG (Minister for Finance and Deregulation) —I thank Senator Joyce for his ongoing interest in this issue. The senator is quoting, I think, from one of six updates that Professor Garnaut has made to his report, and I would again emphasise that these are reports which the government has sought at the request of members of parliament in the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee. They are intended to inform the debate on what is an important public policy issue. Unlike those opposite, we believe that climate change is real and that something needs to be done about it. Unlike those opposite, we are determined to ensure that we work through the various policy issues associated with this very difficult public policy problem through the multiparty committee and more generally.

Professor Garnaut’s reports are a contribution to that discussion, a contribution which is important and that goes to a whole range of issues. Coverage is one of them, but also, more recently, we heard discussion about the means by which assistance to households can be delivered. We had discussion of what sort of assistance should be provided to industry by way of transition. These are all issues that Professor Garnaut has expressed a view on. They are not issues as yet that the government has made final decisions on. As Minister Combet has said, we will work through this process dealing with the various policy questions that present themselves when you look to put a price on carbon. On the carbon-farming initiative, that was an election policy announcement. Senator Ludwig—(Time expired)

Senator JOYCE —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for her initial answer, but it is the election policy announcements that we have a big query on nowadays. Will the government—since Professor Garnaut is merely an input—commit to not introducing a carbon tax on farmers before the next election and promise that any future proposal to introduce a carbon tax, if they decide to change their election commitments, will be taken to an election before its adoption?

Senator WONG (Minister for Finance and Deregulation) —Again, the carbon-farming initiative was an election policy announcement and we are proceeding with that. The carbon-farming initiative was an election policy announcement and we are—

Senator Abetz interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Senator Wong, continue and ignore the interjection. I draw to the attention of those on my left that interjections are disorderly.

Senator WONG —Thank you. The carbon-farming initiative was an election policy announcement. It will enable landowners to benefit from the capacity to generate offsets. As I said in the answer to the first question, Professor Garnaut’s views are Professor Garnaut’s views. The government has made it clear what its policy is. In the announcement that the Prime Minister made in relation to the climate change framework, I refer Senator Joyce to the indication in that that agricultural emission sources would be excluded from coverage under the carbon price mechanism. So I think that is quite clear.

Senator JOYCE —Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I thank the minister for her first supplementary answer and concur with her promise that she is more likely to play full forward for the Western Bulldogs than challenge the Prime Minister, who said she was not going to bring in a carbon tax. If the Australian people cannot trust this government when it says that there will not be a carbon tax, how can Australian farmers trust this government when it says it will not put a carbon tax on Australian farmers?

Senator WONG (Minister for Finance and Deregulation) —I have made it clear what the government’s position is. If you want to talk about inconsistency, Senator, you should have a look at your own side, because I can recall you going to an election saying—

Senator Abetz —What is the relevance of that?

Senator WONG —I can understand, Senator Abetz, why you might be sensitive to me talking about your inconsistencies. I can recall you going to an election saying that you were going to act on climate change; you would put a price on carbon through an emissions trading scheme. I can recall Mr Abbott once saying that he supported an emissions trading scheme. Now he does not support an emissions trading scheme. Then he said that climate change was absolute crap. Even in these last two weeks we heard him saying that the science is not settled and then, 24 hours later, saying the science is settled. Senator, if you want to lecture about inconsistency you certainly have the credentials on your side to give that lecture. We have been very clear about the need to price carbon. I do not think anybody in this parliament who looked at what we did last term would suggest that we had never been clear about that. (Time expired)