MARNER: With us now is Federal Finance Minister and South Australian Senator, Penny Wong. Senator, welcome this afternoon.
WONG: Good to be with you.
MARNER: Minister, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has compared the carbon tax legislation with the big changes of the past, including Medicare and universal superannuation and so forth. Why then is there just six days for people to lodge submissions about the carbon tax legislation, considering its size and importance?
WONG: Lets remember that this discussion about putting a price on carbon hasnt just started. This is a discussion weve been having in Australia since the mid-1990s. Pricing carbon has been something that both major parties have been advocating. Mr Howard went to the election in 2007 promising a price on carbon. And whilst the Liberals might now say he didnt know where the international community was going, he made it very clear in his public statement that he saw the economic advantage of Australia putting a price on carbon at this point in time.
Weve been talking about this for a long time. Weve had no less than 35 parliamentary enquiries 35 separate parliamentary inquiries into climate change. When I was minister we had many inquiries, as well as public consultation processes. Since the last election, weve seen Mr Combet, the current Minister for Climate Change, work through the Multi-Party Committee and that has also engaged in consultation with the community. The legislation in the Parliament that were debating has been out for public consultation and some 300 submissions have been received and considered.
MARNER: Why just this six days now though then?
WONG: Im making the point that the context of all of this is a very lengthy period of consultation on this legislation, and on the issue of climate change more broadly. But Id also make this point, Annette. Does anybody think that having more time to have committee hearings will do anything to shift Simon Birmingham or Tony Abbott in their position? They say they want an inquiry, but actually, they already know what their answer is.
MARNER: But arent they arguing for more time for the Australian people to have their say about the carbon tax? I mean, thats Simon Birminghams point today in his statement.
WONG: We have provided far more consultation than was ever provided on WorkChoices. Far more consultation than was provided on a whole range of other matters. And certainly far more notice of voting on this process than many of the legislative actions of the Howard Government.
MARNER: Minister, your critics will still say Julia Gillard and the Labor Government still has no mandate for a carbon tax.
WONG: I know that is what Simon and others will still say. What Id say is this: weve been talking as a community for a very long time about action on climate change. And anybody who went through the last term of the Labor Government knows our views about pricing carbon. And it is time we as nation dealt with this issues, because the longer we delay the higher the cost for our children and our grandchildren. It is the responsible thing to do, both environmentally and economically, to put a price on carbon.
MARNER: Well Minister, Greg Hunt, Opposition spokesperson on climate change this week said that the Prime Minister promised updated modelling about the carbon tax back in July. The modelling for the carbon tax impact was based on $20 a tonne, not $23 a tonne and he argues that really is significant, thats a 15 per cent difference.
WONG: Two points Id make, the modelling of the household impact and the household compensation package has been done at $23. So I again say to you and your listeners this: I dont think anybody in Australia believes that any of the requests for more modelling, more consultation, more information, is going to shift the Oppositions opposition one iota. They are doing this because they want to delay and because they want to frustrate, not because they want to consider the policy that is being put forward.
MARNER: Can you tell us today, unequivocally Penny Wong, as a South Australian Senator, as a Federal Minister that the carbon tax is absolutely necessary and will not have a negative impact on Australian jobs?
WONG: What Id say is this: if we dont act on climate change, if we dont start to move to a clean energy economy, that will be worse for our environment, and it will be worse for our economy. We have to get on with this; its time for us to act.
MARNER: Minister, thank you very much for joining us today.
WONG: Good to be with you.
ENDS