I asked some questions of Climate Change Minister Penny Wong in Question Time in the Senate today. After you read my questions and her answers you may care to add your name to the almost 13,000 others already on the petition .
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. Can the minister advise the Senate whether the Canadian government has decided to defer further consideration of its climate change legislation until after the meeting at Copenhagen?
Senator WONG—I am happy to give the good senator a response about action on emissions trading in a whole range of countries. He might be interested to know that the United States President, President Obama, has confirmed his commitment—
The PRESIDENT—Senator Wong, I draw your attention to the question.
Senator WONG—I am advised that the Canadian government is working to introduce an emissions trading scheme and has committed to developing and implementing a North America wide cap and trade system. I am advised that the US President—
Senator Joyce—Mr President, I rise on a point of order going to the issue of relevance. My question specifically asked: have the Canadians deferred further consideration until after Copenhagen?
Senator Chris Evans—Mr President, on the point of order, Senator Wong was talking about the advice she had received about what Canada was doing in responding to the threat of climate change. She was directly relevant. Senator Joyce ought to listen rather than trying to have another crack at asking his question.
The PRESIDENT—Order, the minister has one minute and 29 seconds remaining to answer the question. I call the minister.
Senator WONG—As I was saying, the President of the United States has also confirmed his commitment to a cap and trade scheme. He has. I can also indicate—
Opposition senators interjecting—
Senator JOYCE—Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. All the way through her answer to that question the minister failed to answer whether the government will defer this until after Copenhagen. But she did refer to the United States so let us go there. Can the minister also confirm that the Senate leaders in the United States—
Government senators interjecting—
The PRESIDENT—Order on my right. Senator Joyce is entitled to be heard in silence.
Senator JOYCE—I am amazed to find that we could not get an answer to my previous question so let me try this next one. Can the minister also confirm that the Senate leaders in the United States have also confirmed that they will defer consideration of their legislation on climate change until after Copenhagen?
Senator WONG—Mr President, if the US legislation does not get passed this year it is not because the United States government wanted to wait until after Copenhagen; it is because they had a traffic jam of reform in their Senate. But, Mr President, you know what we have: we have sceptics putting up roadblocks at every turn—
Honourable senators interjecting—
The PRESIDENT—Order, I know it is the end of the week and people are getting very excited but I need a bit of order so I can hear the answer to the question.
Senator WONG—It might be useful to remember and to remind those at that end of the chamber, and Senator Bernardi, that the United States in fact started a year after Australia did—in fact they are moving very fast to get to this point. I will say this: if Senator Joyce is saying to the government that he would pass an ETS after a cap a trade scheme has passed the US Senate then let us hear it—because I would suggest that that is not his position; his position is ‘never’.
TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
Senator JOYCE It is also perplexing at this point of time to see that nothing has been delivered to this parliament by way of an amendment or an examination. There is nothing to see. Is there any conjecture over there? Is there something of concern? Is it possibly the case that modelling is starting to suggest that we might have a bit of a problem here because the modelling only dealt with Australia working co-jointly with other nations in a policy— (Time expired)