Summary

Edit

The majority disagreed with Labor Senator Lisa Singh's statement that:

Main idea of the bill

The bill creates an Emissions Reduction Fund so the Government can buy domestic greenhouse gas emissions reductions and offsets by reverse auction. It also makes some changes to the Carbon Farming Initiative, like introducing a 25-year-long option for carbon sequestration projects (right now all projects have to run for 100 years).

Carbon Farming Initiative

The Carbon Farming Initiative lets farmers and land managers earn carbon credits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and storing carbon in vegetation and soils by changing their agricultural and land management practices.

Background to the bill

The Emissions Reduction Fund is a key part of the Coalition Government's Direct Action policy, which was an election commitment. It will replace the carbon price as the main part of the Australian Government's effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia has agreed with the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which means that Australia has agreed to reduce emissions by five per cent of 2000 levels by 2020.

Read more about the changes made by the bill in the bills digest.

Votes Not passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (90% turnout) 9 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Janet Rice Victoria Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Penny Wright SA Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Absent
Australian Labor Party (71% turnout) 17 Yes 0 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Yes
Joe Bullock WA Yes
Doug Cameron NSW Yes
Jacinta Collins Victoria Yes
Stephen Conroy Victoria Yes
Sam Dastyari NSW Yes
John Faulkner NSW Yes
Alex Gallacher SA Yes
Chris Ketter Queensland Yes
Sue Lines WA Yes
Anne McEwen SA Yes
Jan McLucas Queensland Yes
Claire Moore Queensland Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Lisa Singh Tasmania Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Penny Wong SA Yes
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Joe Ludwig Queensland Absent
Kate Lundy ACT Absent
Nova Peris NT Absent
Helen Polley Tasmania Absent
Glenn Sterle WA Absent
Ricky Muir Victoria Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party No
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party Absent
John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party No
Gavin Marshall Victoria Deputy President Yes
Bob Day SA Family First Party No
Nick Xenophon SA Independent No
John Madigan Victoria Independent Absent
David Leyonhjelm NSW Liberal Democratic Party No
Liberal National Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Matthew Canavan Queensland No
James McGrath Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (76% turnout) 0 Yes 19 No
Eric Abetz Tasmania No
Cory Bernardi SA No
Simon Birmingham SA No
David Bushby Tasmania No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Mathias Cormann WA No
Sean Edwards SA No
David Fawcett SA No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Bill Heffernan NSW No
David Johnston WA No
Ian Macdonald Queensland No
Brett Mason Queensland No
Marise Payne NSW No
Michael Ronaldson Victoria No
Anne Ruston SA No
Zed Seselja ACT No
Arthur Sinodinos NSW No
Christopher Back WA Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
Linda Reynolds WA Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria Absent
Dean Smith WA Absent
National Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 4 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Fiona Nash NSW No
Barry O'Sullivan Queensland No
John Williams NSW No
Nick Xenophon SA Nick Xenophon Team Absent
Palmer United Party (100% turnout) 0 Yes 3 No
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania No
Glenn Lazarus Queensland No
Dio Wang WA No
Stephen Parry Tasmania President No
Totals (79% turnout) 27 Yes – 33 No