CHAIR—Senator Joyce, on a point of order.

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Senator JOYCE—Madam Chair, anything pertaining to the financial expenditure of the Commonwealth has to be delivered if asked for at Senate estimates.

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Senator FORSHAW—That is not true.

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Senator JOYCE—I think you will find it is. That is the whole point.

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Senator FORSHAW—All right. So are you going to hand over your staff’s employment contracts to this committee, Senator Joyce? Is that what you are going to do?

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Senator JOYCE—Now you are misquoting me, Senator Forshaw—

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Senator FORSHAW—No, I am not.

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Senator JOYCE—and you know you are.

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Senator FORSHAW—I am not.

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Senator JOYCE—I said that anything pertaining to the financial expenditure of the Commonwealth—

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Senator FORSHAW—Yes. Where do you think the salaries of your staff come from?

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Senator JOYCE—that does not necessarily include any personal details is deemed to be public knowledge, especially at Senate estimates.

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Senator FORSHAW—We should not be having this cross-debate, but Senator Johnston has asked for a copy of the contract of employment. That is what he has asked for—nothing short of that. That is what he has asked for.

Senator JOYCE—Minister, do you believe that, at a federal level, you are leading the reduction in carbon emissions? Do you believe that, at a federal level, you are leading from the front in the reduction of carbon emissions? Do you believe that reducing carbon emissions is pre-emptive in what the government wants to do?

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Senator Wong—I am not sure what your question means, but I will attempt to be helpful. The government has made it clear that climate change is one of our key priorities. We have a range of very significant election commitments we are proceeding with: the ETS and the renewable energy target, some of which I have discussed today. In terms of government leading by example—which may be the issue to which your question refers—I have already given evidence that we recognise the importance of government taking responsibility. We are currently considering across government, through a whole-of-government approach, how we can best do that. We made a range of commitments prior to the election on those issues.

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Senator JOYCE—Do you believe that you are inspiring the policies of carbon emission reduction at the federal level? Do you believe that part of your job is to inspire policies to reduce carbon emission?

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Senator Wong—I am not sure what you mean by ‘inspire policies’.

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Senator JOYCE—Will you be drafting policies that reduce carbon emissions? Is it the wish of the government to reduce carbon emissions and, therefore, will they be driving the policy agenda to do that?

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Senator Wong—Yes, we want to reduce Australia’s emissions over time. The primary policy responsibility across government lies within this portfolio.

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Senator JOYCE—The endorsement of the Kyoto protocol has now happened at a federal level, hasn’t it?

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Senator Wong—The first act of the government was to ratify the protocol.

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Senator JOYCE—Do you acknowledge that we have met the Kyoto protocol by reason of a reduction in tree clearing?

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Senator Wong—I think I made it clear in the previous hearing that I acknowledge the contribution the agricultural sector has made, whether voluntary or not, through restrictions on land clearing and other matters.

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Senator JOYCE—Do you acknowledge that statements were made by the former Treasurer on The 7.30 Report—

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Senator Wong—I cannot comment on what the former Treasurer said or did not say.

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Senator JOYCE—What ramification does the compulsory impediment that now lies on the asset of vegetation have for farmers?

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Senator Wong—That is a matter that you should address to the Queensland government, if you are referring to the Queensland land clearing laws.

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Senator JOYCE—You acknowledge that there now is definitely a federal overlay in this target, don’t you?

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Senator Wong—I do not understand that question, Chair.

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Senator JOYCE—You understand that the federal government is now leading with its policy requirements in the reduction of carbon emissions. Is it the desire of the Commonwealth government to reduce carbon emissions?

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Senator Wong—The Commonwealth government—the Rudd Labor government—has been elected with commitments to put in place policies to reduce Australia’s emissions over time; that is correct. I will be frank: your matter may relate to some legal action that I think was commenced under the previous government and I cannot comment on matters that may be the subject of legal action. However, at a general policy level, yes, I think everybody who read our policy commitments would know that we were elected with a commitment to tackling climate change and that includes reduction of emissions.