ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT HAS NO FAITH IN DIRECT ACTION

Media Release

Mark Butler MP.

Shadow Minister for Environment
 Climate Change and Water

Date:  27 May 2014

The Department of the Environment has admitted they are unsure of the effectiveness of the Abbott Government’s woeful Direct Action climate policy, despite committing more than $2.5 billion of taxpayer money for the scheme.

In yesterday’s Senate Estimates Hearing of the Environment and Communications Committee, the Department was also unable to answer specific questions about the design of the Emissions Reduction Fund, despite legislation having been released, funding allocated and the Government declaring its unwavering confidence in the policy.

“Each day it becomes clearer that this policy is nothing more than an ideological opposition to serious action to reduce carbon pollution from a Government that doesn’t accept the science of climate change,” Shadow Climate Change Minister Mark Butler said.

When asked about how much of the Government’s 5% emissions reduction target the Direct Action policy will achieve, Department officials responded that without the Emissions Reduction Fund’s design being settled, they were unable to provide any certainty on its success.

When asked to produce any evidence or modelling that supports the Government’s claims of guaranteed success, the Department was unable to produce anything.

The evidence was interrupted by the Government’s representative on the panel, Senator Simon Birmingham, who repeatedly defended the lack of robust policy development on the basis of his own personal ‘confidence’ in the policy.

“No one outside the Government seems to share Senator Birmingham’s confidence,” Mr Butler said.

“After four years of policy development and a public commitment of up to $2.5 billion, the Government appears not to have done any meaningful research to prove this policy is anything more than a complete waste of taxpayers’ money,” Mr Butler said.

“All the experts in this area have been scathing in their criticism of this inadequate policy that amounts to little more than a dressed up slush fund.

“If Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Senator Birmingham have modelling to suggest otherwise, now would be a good time to release it, as the legislation will be introduced to the Parliament any day now.”