Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 and related bills

The majority voted against a motion to read the bills for a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through here. )

This means that the majority disagreed with the main idea of the bills, which was to introduce the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, and that the bills will no longer proceed.

Background to the bills

The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009 was introduced as part of a package of six bills along with five other related bills to introduce the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.(Read more about the scheme on Wikipedia. ) This is an emission trading scheme designed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in an effort to address climate change. The scheme gives effect to Australia's obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

The design of the scheme has been criticised by the business community for threatening jobs and by environmentalists for not going far enough with its emission reduction targets.(Read more about these criticisms here.)

The six bills that were introduced as a package are called:

• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2009
• the Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority Bill 2009
• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges-Customs) Bill 2009
• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges-Excise) Bill 2009
• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Charges-General) Bill 2009
• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009

The five other related bills are called:

• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS Fuel Credits) Bill 2009
• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS Fuel Credits) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2009
• the Excise Tariff Amendment (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) Bill 2009
• the Customs Tariff Amendment (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme) Bill 2009
• the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Amendment (Household Assistance) Bill 2009

References