E&OE….
Topics: Carbon Farming Initiative
ROSS GREENWOOD:
Greg Hunt’s on the line. Many thanks for your time, Greg.
GREG HUNT:
G’day Ross.
ROSS GREENWOOD:
So, in regards to the Direct Action plan – what you have agreed today with Clive Palmer, does that mean that an Emissions Trading Scheme and a carbon tax in Australia is now dead?
GREG HUNT:
Well, we do not support, we do not believe there will be, and there’s no expectation, plans or support on our side for any form of carbon tax or an ETS.
ROSS GREENWOOD:
But you have agreed as part of this deal with Clive Palmer that there will be an investigation of some form into an Emissions Trading Scheme?
GREG HUNT:
Look, that’s correct. He wanted an inquiry. The arrangement and agreement between us is that he would support the Emissions Reduction Fund – that’s the ability to clean up waste coal mine gas and transport emission, power stations, to support energy efficiency – for your listeners – on a grand scale.
And in return, because frankly we wouldn’t have been able to abolish the Climate Change Authority without support in the Senate, and we didn’t have that support, we agreed on the gesture of having his inquiry.
Our position, though, has not changed. We said we’d abolish the carbon tax. We did, and your listeners are experiencing lower electricity prices because of that. And we said that we would seek to introduce an Emissions Reduction Fund and we’ve got crossbench support as at this point.
ROSS GREENWOOD:
You must be a bloody good negotiator Greg Hunt.
GREG HUNT:
Well, we’re doing ok.
ROSS GREENWOOD:
The reason I say that, Greg, can I just make this point – have a listen to this – you’d have heard this many times no doubt. This is Clive Palmer in April this year.
[AUDIO EXCERPT OF CLIVE PALMER]
ROSS GREENWOOD:
How in the space of just six months did you manage to get Clive Palmer to do a 180 degree u-turn?
GREG HUNT:
Look, we’ve had a lot of good discussions. We get on well. And his Senators are very supportive. They recognise that there are 171 projects around Australia that’ll be supported in all of the states and territories, and new projects to do practical things.
We have a bit of a laugh. We get on well. He’s agreed to drop his proposal for an Emissions Trading Scheme in terms of the bill that he was going to put forward. We recognise that we get our fundamental task of abolishing the carbon tax and putting forward a practical Emissions Reduction Fund which will support things.
And we’ve agreed to a review as a gesture of goodwill, but we’ve certainly not agreed to or committed in any way to the findings and our position on a carbon tax has not changed and I do not see it changing under any circumstances.
ROSS GREENWOOD:
Bottom line – is the economy better off as a result of these policies?
GREG HUNT:
Massively. And that’s because every small business, every household, every pensioner has lower electricity and gas prices than they would otherwise have had for a tax which wasn’t doing its job.
ROSS GREENWOOD:
The Environment Minister, Greg Hunt, as always we appreciate your time.
GREG HUNT:
Take care. Bye bye.
(ENDS)