DARREN CHEESEMAN SPEECH NATIONAL GREENHOUSE AND ENERGY REPORTING AMENDMENT BILL 2009
Friday, 26 June 2009 05:32
DARREN CHEESEMAN SPEECH NATIONAL GREENHOUSE AND ENERGY REPORTING AMENDMENT BILL 2009
Mr Speaker, I stand to speak on the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment Bill.
And isn’t nice to be immersing ourselves in the nitty gritty of laws that will actually address climate change.
It’s a really good feeling to be finally doing this Mr Speaker.
How far are we away from the Howard years?
Those awful years when Australia was an international embarrassment, blindly following a thoroughly discredited US Republican Administration down the path of denial of the obvious.
After this shameful chapter in Australian history, it was a great thing when we signed Kyoto.
But this feels even better to me Mr. Speaker.
We are finally getting down to working through the details of the practical actions we need to take.
Australia has moved on, and it was high time.
I have to say though Mr Speaker, the Liberals still don’t seem to have got it.
Despite many more studies of totally conclusive evidence that in fact the greenhouse challenge and consequent climate change challenge is growing, the Libs are stuck in time.
Nothing has changed for them.
They are still stuck between the climate change denialists, the climate change delayers, and those who just want to ignore it.
I really had a good laugh over my breakfast a couple of weeks back Mr Speaker.
I was reading Michelle Gratton’s column in The Age.
Michelle described the current Leader of the Opposition as a horse rider, riding two horses at once, one foot on each, desperately holding the reigns, trying to keep the two horses together.
Two wild horses. Neddy do nothing. And Neddy Denial. Malcom in the middle.
He was probably reading a leaked, fabricated email at the same time Mr. Speaker.
The image was perfect. Michelle really nailed it in a single sentence.
Malcom in the middle.
Giddy up boys!
I’d be checking for hernia’s Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I should say something about the detail of this Bill.
The Bill again shows the rigor in which Rudd Government Ministers are approaching all legislation.
We are trying to be thorough, and to ensure legislation works as is intended.
This Bill strengthens the audit framework established by the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act by requiring auditors to register with the Greenhouse and Energy Data Officer (GEDO).
It also clarifies audit arrangements by making a number of other administrative amendments.
It is important to note Mr. Speaker, this Bill imposes no burdens on industry beyond those originally intended by the Act.
This Bill will be followed by some subsequent legislation that goes through in detail the requirements for auditor registration and the criteria for conducting and reporting on audits.
Mr. Speaker there’s a very obvious imperative for this Bill, which is that we must have a very strong and robust third party audit framework to support the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and to ensure proper compliance.
And I want to say a couple of things about the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Mr Speaker, because this Bill and that legislation are of course inextricably linked.
There is no doubt we need, and one day soon will have, a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
It is simply a matter time.
It is a terrible shame that we currently have all the game playing by various parties in this place and in the Senate.
I believe most Australians strongly support what Labor is doing and abhor the silly games.
Clearly, putting in place a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is extremely difficult.
But it is essential.
It has implications for our current workforce, as well as providing some great opportunities to grow new jobs and develop new industries.
We have to introduce a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in a way in which we don’t tip hundreds of thousands of people out of work, and that’s what Labor is doing.
We must also take account of what the rest of the world is doing, and Labor’s proposed legislation does that.
However, I believe it is also incumbent on countries in the developed world to take the lead.
Mr Speaker, it is the countries of the developed that have created this problem.
Less developed countries have every right to point that out.
I believe Australia, as one of the most developed countries in the world, and also the country with the highest carbon footprint per head in the world, has a moral obligation to lead.
Anyway you look at it Mr Speaker, Australia has a moral obligation to lead on this question.
That is why the Opposition’s stance is so shameful.
That is why the Opposition’s stance is so immoral.
Mr. Speaker, my view is that the most culpable of our political Leaders in this debate are not the denialists.
If some people still believe the world is flat, well so be it.
They are just foolish and ignorant.
My real beef is with those on the other side who know the climate is changing.
The people who know that climate change is caused by carbon pollution and greenhouse gases, but then don’t give a fig for the consequences.
People who would rather take up some cheap opportunistic response than do something about the most significant issue facing mankind.
People who care more about scoring point than about their kid’s future.
And it is time the Opposition did take a good hard, long look at themselves on this question.
Mr Speaker, another important aspect of this Bill is that it requires results of greenhouse and energy audits to be included on the register established under section 16 of the Act.
This is extremely important on building our knowledge base and data sources on business carbon outputs.
And of course more detailed knowledge of what the outputs are across every industry and every industry sector is going to very helpful in developing future policy on carbon reduction, and knowing what the impacts will be on industry.
Collection of energy production data will remain a key component of the Act, to inform government on energy flows across the Australian economy and to underpin the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics’ energy statistics.
Another important aspect of this Bill is that it allow for decisions made by the Greenhouse and Energy Data Officer (GEDO) not to register an auditor under the Act to be reviewed by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
As well, there are provisions in relation to the registration of auditors.
This is clearly an important and necessary quality control measure.
The Bill also gives the GEDO authority to audit entities who report under section 20 of the Act, and clarifies and increases powers in relation to requirements for the preparation, conduct and reporting of audits.
The Bill allows for regulations to be made requiring the results of greenhouse and energy audits to be published.
Clearly transparency and public knowledge is a very important aspect of this Bill Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the amendments are based on feedback from stakeholders received during consultations in October 2008.
The majority of stakeholders agreed that the audit framework would need to be strengthened in order to better support the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System and underpin robust reporting for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
This is evidence not only of a thorough consultative process, but also evidence of the Rudd Government listening.
And I might say, we will continue to listen.
The Rudd Government has made a commitment to further consultation on the draft regulations.
Mr. Speaker, yet again, Labor is leading.
We are taking the big decisions that the previous Government shirked.
This Bill is just more evidence of that.
I commend the Bill to the House.
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