Prime Minister Julia Gillard has unveiled the line-up of the new multi-party climate change committee that will investigate ways to put a price on carbon.
Ms Gillard will chair the committee which will also consist of Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet, Greens senators Bob Brown and Christine Milne and independent MP Tony Windsor.
Senator Milne will serve as co-deputy chair.
The committee will report directly to Cabinet and will meet in the Cabinet room, meaning its deliberations will be kept secret until the Government chooses to release details of any decisions.
It will consider how to put a price on carbon either by a tax, an emissions trading scheme, a levy or a mixture of several measures.
The Coalition has also been invited to put two of its MPs on the committee despite Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s insistence that no Coalition MP would be doing so.
Climate change economist Professor Ross Garnaut, climate scientist Professor Will Steffen, Rod Sims and Patricia Faulkner will also be on the committee as expert advisers.
Mr Sims is the chair of the independent price regulator for electricity in NSW, while Ms Faulkner will advise on price impacts on households.
Ms Gillard says it is imperative to put a price on carbon to give business certainty.
Read the full ABC Online story HERE
Christine Milne:
Climate Change Committee 1st milestone towards a carbon price
Canberra, Monday 27 September 2010
After negotiating establishment of a climate change committee as part of the agreement to support the Gillard government, the Greens today welcome the announcement of a committee of parliamentarians and experts tasked with developing a mechanism to put a price on carbon.
“The Greens were the only party who went to the 2010 election with a policy to deliver a carbon price as quickly as possible and we now look forward to working with the government and other cross-benchers to make it a reality,” Australian Greens Deputy Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.
“The Climate Change Committee will be a small working committee designed to take account of all perspectives and assisted by expertise on the science, economics, carbon markets and societal impacts. It will also be supported by government departments.
“I look forward to giving my all as co-deputy chair of the committee, alongside Minister Combet, with the Prime Minister as chair and Senator Brown, Treasurer Swan and Tony Windsor as members. Expert advisers will be Professors Ross Garnaut and Will Steffen, Mr Rod Sims and Ms Patricia Faulkner.
“Whilst the climate sceptics and resource-based industries managed to dampen political support for strong climate action during the last parliament, global warming has been accelerating. Every aspect, from heat waves to ocean acidification to glacial melt has been tracking at or above scientists’ projections.
“Transformation of the economy is essential not only for the climate, but also to keep Australia competitive and create more jobs in a global economy that is leaving us behind.
“The community’s hunger for climate action clearly never abated and this milestone today is a direct result of an election outcome where the Australian people sent more Greens, including Adam Bandt representing Melbourne in the House of Representatives, to the parliament.
“This is a great opportunity to demonstrate to Australians how well collaborative, minority government can operate to achieve critically important outcomes for us all.”
