edited
9th Oct 2014
Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 and related bills - Second reading - Read a second time
Passed by a small majority
No rebellions 92% attendance
17th Mar 2014, 1:59 PM – Senate Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 and related bills - Second Reading - Read a second time
Summary
EditThe majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time.(Read more about the stages a bill must pass through here. )
The motion was phrased like this: "That these bills be now read a second time but the Senate calls on the Government to recognise the scientific expert consensus regarding climate change and that the repeal of the carbon tax must be accompanied by the introduction of serious and comprehensive policies to address climate change."
This means that the majority agree with the main idea of the bill, subject to the proviso contained in the motion.
Background to the bills
The Clean Energy Legislation (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013 and related bills were introduced as a package to remove the carbon pricing mechanism, which was introduced by the Australian Labor Party while in government. The Coalition described the mechanism as a “carbon tax” and removing it was a key policy platform during the 2013 election.(You can read more about the Coalition's policy to remove the carbon price here. )
The carbon pricing mechanism commenced on 1 July 2012.(For more information on the carbon pricing mechanism and how it works, please see the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) It is an emissions trading scheme that puts a price on carbon emissions. It applies to “liable entities” (a group that includes companies that emit a high level of greenhouse gases). Initially the price of carbon is fixed by the mechanism but from 1 July 2015 the price will be set by the market, though the Labor Government did announce plans to bring this forward to 1 July 2014 just before they were defeated by the Coalition in the 2013 election.
The ten other related bills are:
- True-up Shortfall Levy (General) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013
- True-up Shortfall Levy (Excise) (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013
- Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Amendment (Carbon Tax Repeal) Bill 2013
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013
- Climate Change Authority (Abolition) Bill 2013
- Clean Energy (Income Tax Rates and Other Amendments) Bill 2013
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Abolition) Bill 2013
Votes Passed by a large majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 0 Yes – 9 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 | |
| Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania | No | |
| Penny Wright SA | No | |
| Australian Labor Party (73% turnout) | 22 Yes – 0 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | Yes | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | Yes | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | Yes | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | Yes | |
| Stephen Conroy Victoria | Yes | |
| Sam Dastyari NSW | Yes | |
| Don Farrell SA | Yes | |
| Mark Furner Queensland | Yes | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | Yes | |
| Sue Lines WA | Yes | |
| Joe Ludwig Queensland | Yes | |
| Kate Lundy ACT | Yes | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | Yes | |
| Claire Moore Queensland | Yes | |
| Deborah O'Neill NSW | Yes | |
| Nova Peris NT | Yes | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | Yes | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | Yes | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | Yes | |
| Mehmet Tillem Victoria | Yes | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | Yes | |
| Penny Wong SA | Yes | |
| Mark Bishop WA | Absent | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | Absent | |
| John Faulkner NSW | Absent | |
| Anne McEwen SA | Absent | |
| Jan McLucas Queensland | Absent | |
| Louise Pratt WA | Absent | |
| Ursula Stephens NSW | Absent | |
| Lin Thorp Tasmania | 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 (85% turnout) | 23 Yes – 0 No | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | Yes | |
| Christopher Back WA | Yes | |
| Cory Bernardi SA | Yes | |
| George Brandis Queensland | Yes | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | Yes | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | Yes | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | Yes | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | Yes | |
| Sean Edwards SA | Yes | |
| Alan Eggleston WA | Yes | |
| David Fawcett SA | Yes | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | Yes | |
| David Johnston WA | Yes | |
| Helen Kroger Victoria | Yes | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | Yes | |
| Brett Mason Queensland | Yes | |
| Marise Payne NSW | Yes | |
| Michael Ronaldson Victoria | Yes | |
| Anne Ruston SA | Yes | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria | Yes | |
| Zed Seselja ACT | Yes | |
| Arthur Sinodinos NSW | Yes | |
| Dean Smith WA | Yes | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | Absent | |
| Sue Boyce Queensland | Absent | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | Absent | |
| Bill Heffernan NSW | Absent | |
| National Party (80% turnout) | 4 Yes – 0 No | |
| Ron Boswell Queensland | Yes | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | Yes | |
| Barry O'Sullivan Queensland | Yes | |
| John Williams NSW | Yes | |
| Fiona Nash NSW | Absent | |
| Nick Xenophon SA Nick Xenophon Team | Absent | |
| John Hogg Queensland President | Yes | |
| Totals (82% turnout) | 53 Yes – 9 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.