7319

2010-2011-2012

 

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

 

THE SENATE

 

 

 

 

 

Clean Energy Amendment (Internation al Emissions Trading and Other Measures) Bill 2012

 

 

(Amendment to be moved by the Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Milne, in committee of the whole)

( 1 )     Schedule  1 , page 59 (after line 25) , after item  81 , insert:

81A  After section 160

Insert:

160A   Review by Productivity Commission of financial assistance for coal-fired electricity generation

             (1)  As soon as practicable after the commencement of this section, the Productivity Minister must, under paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , refer the following matters to the Productivity Commission for inquiry:

                     (a)  the matter of the reasons for, and need for, financial assistance for coal-fired electricity generation;

                     (b)  the matter of the following impacts of the existing arrangements for financial assistance for coal-fired electricity generation:

                              (i)  impacts on Australia’s electricity generation mix and timeframes for retirement of existing electricity generation plants and investment in new generation plants;

                             (ii)  financial impacts for coal-fired generators in receipt of compensation and for other generators across the industry;

                            (iii)  impact on Commonwealth finances;

                            (iv)  impacts on the competitiveness of the Australian electricity market.

             (2)  In referring the matters to the Productivity Commission for inquiry, the Productivity Minister must, under paragraph 11(1)(b) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , specify the period ending on 31 December 2012 as the period within which the Productivity Commission must submit its report on the inquiry to the Productivity Minister.

Note:          Under section 12 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , the Productivity Minister must cause a copy of the Productivity Commission’s report to be tabled in each House of Parliament.

             (3)  For the purposes of paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 , each matter mentioned in subsection (1) of this section is taken to be a matter relating to industry, industry development and productivity.

160B   Commonwealth Government response

             (1)  If the report on an inquiry referred to in section 160A sets out one or more recommendations to the Commonwealth Government:

                     (a)  as soon as practicable after receiving the report, the Productivity Minister must cause to be prepared a statement setting out the Commonwealth Government’s response to each of the recommendations; and

                     (b)  the Productivity Minister must cause copies of the statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament before the end of the period of 7 sitting days of that House after the day on which the Productivity Minister receives the report.

             (2)  As soon as practicable after the Productivity Minister tables the report in each House of the Parliament, the Productivity Commission must publish the report on the Productivity Commission’s website.

Note:          The Productivity Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament—see section 12 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 .

160C   No limit on Productivity Minister’s powers

                   This Division does not limit the Productivity Minister’s powers under paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998 .

[review of financial assistance for coal-fired electricity generation]