edited
7th Oct 2014
Clean Energy Bill 2011 and related bills - Second Reading - Read a second time
Passed by a small majority
No rebellions 98% attendance
8th Nov 2011 – Senate Clean Energy Bill 2011 - In Committee - When charge payable
Summary
EditThe majority voted against an amendment to the Clean Energy Bill 2011, moved by Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham and Independent Senator Nick Xenophon.
Senator Birmingham explained that "[t]hese amendments would ensure that at least 90 per cent of the up-front costs associated with the advance purchase of permits by electricity generators would be removed".(Read the rest of Senator Birmingham's and the associated debate here. The relevant debate commences at 11:04 am.) He said that this would "ensure that unnecessary electricity price rises above the gross electricity price rises already imposed under this legislation could be avoided".
The Clean Energy Bill 2011 is one of a package of eighteen bills to implement a carbon pricing mechanism, which is a key policy of the Australian Labor Party while in Government.
The eighteen bills were:
- Clean Energy Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates Amendments) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Household Assistance Amendments) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Tax Laws Amendments) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Fuel Tax Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2011
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment Bill 2011
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Unit Shortfall Charge—General) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge—Auctions) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Unit Issue Charge—Fixed Charge) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (International Unit Surrender Charge) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Charges—Customs) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy (Charges—Excise) Bill 2011
- Clean Energy Regulator Bill 2011
- Climate Change Authority Bill 2011
Background to the bills
The carbon pricing mechanism would commence on 1 July 2012. It is an emissions trading scheme that will put a price on carbon emissions. It will apply to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon will be fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market.
For more information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it works, please see the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.
References
Votes Not passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 9 No | |
| Bob Brown Tasmania | No | |
| Richard Di Natale Victoria | No | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | No | |
| Scott Ludlam WA | No | |
| Christine Milne Tasmania | No | |
| Lee Rhiannon NSW | No | |
| Rachel Siewert WA | No | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | No | |
| Penny Wright SA | No | |
| Australian Labor Party (87% turnout) | 0 Yes – 26 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | No | |
| Mark Bishop WA | No | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | No | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | No | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | No | |
| Trish Crossin NT | No | |
| Chris Evans WA | No | |
| Don Farrell SA | No | |
| John Faulkner NSW | No | |
| Mark Furner Queensland | No | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | No | |
| Joe Ludwig Queensland | No | |
| Kate Lundy ACT | No | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | No | |
| Anne McEwen SA | No | |
| Jan McLucas Queensland | No | |
| Claire Moore Queensland | No | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | No | |
| Louise Pratt WA | No | |
| Nick Sherry Tasmania | No | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | No | |
| Ursula Stephens NSW | No | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | No | |
| Matt Thistlethwaite NSW | No | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | No | |
| Penny Wong SA | No | |
| Mark Arbib NSW | Absent | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | Absent | |
| Stephen Conroy Victoria | Absent | |
| David Feeney Victoria | Absent | |
| Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | Yes | |
| John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party | Yes | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania Deputy President | Absent | |
| Nick Xenophon SA Independent | Yes | |
| Liberal Party (89% turnout) | 24 Yes – 0 No | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | Yes | |
| Judith Adams WA | Yes | |
| Cory Bernardi SA | Yes | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Yes | |
| Sue Boyce Queensland | Yes | |
| George Brandis Queensland | Yes | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | Yes | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Yes | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Yes | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | Yes | |
| Alan Eggleston WA | Yes | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | Yes | |
| Mary Fisher SA | Yes | |
| Bill Heffernan NSW | Yes | |
| Gary Humphries ACT | Yes | |
| David Johnston WA | Yes | |
| Helen Kroger Victoria | Yes | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | Yes | |
| Brett Mason Queensland | Yes | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania | Yes | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Yes | |
| Michael Ronaldson Victoria | Yes | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria | Yes | |
| Arthur Sinodinos NSW | Yes | |
| Christopher Back WA | Absent | |
| Sean Edwards SA | Absent | |
| David Fawcett SA | Absent | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | Absent | |
| National Party (100% turnout) | 5 Yes – 0 No | |
| Ron Boswell Queensland | Yes | |
| Barnaby Joyce Queensland | Yes | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Yes | |
| Fiona Nash NSW | Yes | |
| John Williams NSW | Yes | |
| John Hogg Queensland President | No | |
| Totals (89% turnout) | 32 Yes – 36 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.