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
12th Oct 2011 – Senate Clean Energy Bill 2011 and related bills - First Reading - Read for a first time
Summary
EditThe majority voted in favour of a motion that the bills be read a first time. The eighteen bills are a package to implement a carbon pricing mechanism.
Passing this motion means that the bills can be introduced into the Senate. According to Odgers’ Australian Senate Practice, “the first reading is normally passed without opposition and is regarded as a purely formal stage”, so the fact that the Senate divided to vote on this motion demonstrates how controversial the carbon pricing mechanism was.
The carbon price is a key policy of the Labor Government.
The eighteen bills are:
- 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 is set to begin on 1 July 2012.(Read more about the carbon pricing mechanism on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website.) It is an emissions trading scheme that puts 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.
References
Votes Passed by a small majority
Nobody rebelled against their party.
| Party | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Greens (100% turnout) | 9 Yes – 0 No | |
| Bob Brown Tasmania | Yes | |
| Richard Di Natale Victoria | Yes | |
| Sarah Hanson-Young SA | Yes | |
| Scott Ludlam WA | Yes | |
| Christine Milne Tasmania | Yes | |
| Lee Rhiannon NSW | Yes | |
| Rachel Siewert WA | Yes | |
| Larissa Waters Queensland | Yes | |
| Penny Wright SA | Yes | |
| Australian Labor Party (80% turnout) | 24 Yes – 0 No | |
| Catryna Bilyk Tasmania | Yes | |
| Mark Bishop WA | Yes | |
| Carol Brown Tasmania | Yes | |
| Doug Cameron NSW | Yes | |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | Yes | |
| Stephen Conroy Victoria | Yes | |
| Trish Crossin NT | Yes | |
| Don Farrell SA | Yes | |
| Mark Furner Queensland | Yes | |
| Alex Gallacher SA | Yes | |
| Joe Ludwig Queensland | Yes | |
| Kate Lundy ACT | Yes | |
| Gavin Marshall Victoria | Yes | |
| Anne McEwen SA | Yes | |
| Jan McLucas Queensland | Yes | |
| Claire Moore Queensland | Yes | |
| Helen Polley Tasmania | Yes | |
| Louise Pratt WA | Yes | |
| Nick Sherry Tasmania | Yes | |
| Lisa Singh Tasmania | Yes | |
| Ursula Stephens NSW | Yes | |
| Glenn Sterle WA | Yes | |
| Matt Thistlethwaite NSW | Yes | |
| Anne Urquhart Tasmania | Yes | |
| Mark Arbib NSW | Absent | |
| Kim Carr Victoria | Absent | |
| Chris Evans WA | Absent | |
| John Faulkner NSW | Absent | |
| David Feeney Victoria | Absent | |
| Penny Wong SA | Absent | |
| Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party | No | |
| John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party | No | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania Deputy President | Absent | |
| Nick Xenophon SA Independent | Yes | |
| Liberal Party (88% turnout) | 0 Yes – 23 No | |
| Eric Abetz Tasmania | No | |
| Judith Adams WA | No | |
| Christopher Back WA | No | |
| Simon Birmingham SA | No | |
| Sue Boyce Queensland | No | |
| George Brandis Queensland | No | |
| Michaelia Cash WA | No | |
| Richard Colbeck Tasmania | No | |
| Mathias Cormann WA | No | |
| Sean Edwards SA | No | |
| Alan Eggleston WA | No | |
| David Fawcett SA | No | |
| Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW | No | |
| Mitch Fifield Victoria | No | |
| Mary Fisher SA | No | |
| Gary Humphries ACT | No | |
| David Johnston WA | No | |
| Helen Kroger Victoria | No | |
| Ian Macdonald Queensland | No | |
| Brett Mason Queensland | No | |
| Stephen Parry Tasmania | No | |
| Marise Payne NSW | No | |
| Michael Ronaldson Victoria | No | |
| Cory Bernardi SA | Absent | |
| David Bushby Tasmania | Absent | |
| Bill Heffernan NSW | Absent | |
| Scott Ryan Victoria | Absent | |
| National Party (80% turnout) | 0 Yes – 4 No | |
| Ron Boswell Queensland | No | |
| Bridget McKenzie Victoria | No | |
| Fiona Nash NSW | No | |
| John Williams NSW | No | |
| Barnaby Joyce Queensland | Absent | |
| John Hogg Queensland President | Yes | |
| Totals (85% turnout) | 35 Yes – 29 No |
Turnout is the percentage of members eligible to vote that did vote.