Page 3266 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 August 2008
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This is a well-thought-out, constructive approach to leadership in relation to issues around greenhouse gas emissions—the encouragement of the community, the active encouragement by a government of community acceptance of the need to reduce emissions.
This scheme is all about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through motor vehicle usage. In terms of emissions here within the territory, there are two significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions—motor vehicles and the generation of electricity. We need to deal with these two. These are the great challenges facing this community most particularly—a community with the heaviest carbon footprint in the nation and one of the heaviest in the world.
We have to take every opportunity open to us. We have to think laterally. We have to act with courage. As a government we have to show true leadership. We see today an abysmal failure of leadership by the Liberal Party in this place. They could not bring themselves to support an Australia-leading novel scheme that will take off the roads thousands of polluting vehicles and, over time, reduce those thousands of high polluting vehicles with lower polluting, lower emitting vehicles.
The equation is simple. This project, this proposal, will incrementally result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through motor vehicle usage in the ACT. It will work. It is simple; it is effective; it is targeted. It provides a whole range of options. It does not apply to second-hand cars; it applies just to new vehicles. It is generous in relation to those who will make the choice and move from a higher emitting to a lower emitting vehicle. It provides guidance. It nudges. There is a series of levers. There are options. There are many cars on the market; they all have different environmental characteristics. This is a piece of active legislation showing true leadership by this government that allows or nudges the people of the ACT into selecting vehicles that will not pollute, that will not add to our greenhouse gas emissions.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: You can take your conversation outside if you like.
Mr Smyth: We are just discussing—
MR SPEAKER: I refer you to standing order 39.
Mr Smyth: We are just discussing the Lexuses.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR STANHOPE: The Liberal Party failed the test. The Liberal Party slipped straight into their ideological position: “Oh, it will affect the really big end of town, those that perhaps would buy the great big Nissans and the Commodore V-8s.” They are out there to protect them.
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