Sunday, November 29, 2009

Greg Combet: Liberal ETS wreckers

ABC interview 28 November 2009

GREG COMBET: There is a lot at stake for Australia in this because when you go back to the fundamentals, this legislation is designed, of course, to allow us to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and play a part internationally in tackling the challenge that climate change represents and of course, this country has got a lot to lose.

So these wreckers led by Senator Minchin are doing this country a tremendous disservice and really they are significantly undermining the integrity of the Liberal Party and the Opposition by attacking what was and is an agreement.

SABRA LANE: If Joe Hockey is the leader of the party come Tuesday, do you consider him one of those wreckers too?

GREG COMBET: Well, he is certainly in an extraordinary position here. He is one of those who we understand who strongly support emissions trading. He has not been a climate change sceptic as far as we have been able to ascertain but he definitely has been a supporter of Malcolm Turnbull's in securing this agreement with the Government over the climate change legislation and yet here he is prepared to sell out his beliefs and undermine his own integrity in an effort to get the leadership.

SABRA LANE: So he wasn't …

GREG COMBET: I don't think, that is not a very principled stance for Mr Hockey to be taking.

SABRA LANE: He wasn't part of the deal that was done with you?

GREG COMBET: He was part of the deal that was done. Mr Hockey is the shadow treasurer. He supported Mr Turnbull in negotiating with the Government. We understand he very closely was kept appraised of the developments in the negotiations and supported the agreement with the Government over emissions trading.

So Mr Hockey, in order to accept the leadership of course has got to accept Senator Minchin's conditions that the emissions trading arrangements, the climate change legislation gets sent off into the never never in order to secure Senator Minchin's numbers to get the leadership.

Now that is just opportunism and disreputable conduct if that is what Mr Hockey does because a deal is a deal and it should be delivered.

SABRA LANE: Have you sought legal advice on whether referring this bill off to an inquiry would constitute failure to pass meaning that the Government could use this as a double dissolution trigger?

GREG COMBET: This is an issue that I would like to be very clear about on behalf of the Government. We have endeavoured from the outset to get the emissions trading arrangements, our climate change legislation, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme through because it is just a critical public policy issue.

Our objective is to get it through. Not to be playing manoeuvres for double dissolutions.

SABRA LANE: So that is no to double dissolution?

GREG COMBET: Well, I am not in a position to speculate about that. All that I can say is what we have reiterated all the way along and the Prime Minister has been very clear about and that is that we are not interested in mucking about looking for double dissolution triggers.

What we are interested in is getting the legislation through.

SABRA LANE: The Senate is scheduled to start sitting 10:00 O'Clock Monday morning and will continue debate on this. Can you confirm that the Senate will sit day and night without a break until the bills are voted on or referred off to a committee?

GREG COMBET: Well, the Senate's ways are a little complex for Members of the House of Representatives at times so I wouldn't speculate too much about that but as I understand it, the Senate will keep sitting until it has disposed of the issue some way or other and we, of course, want it passed and we would like it passed on Monday.

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