Interview with Peter Stefanovic, Sky News First Agenda

PETE STEFANOVIC, HOST: Well, after so much time, and after so much talk, the Government's climate bill will be introduced into the lower house today. And joining us live now from Canberra is the climate change and energy Minister, Chris Bowen. Chris, good to see you. Thanks for your time this morning. So is the legislation good to go?

CHRIS BOWEN: It is Pete, good morning. Yes, I'll be introducing it this morning. It's a big day, the Australian people voted for action on climate change on May 21 and now the Parliament has a chance to vote for action on climate change. It's an important bill, it sets our emissions targets in law, it provides a framework for investors to let investors know Australia's open for business, for renewable energy, for transmission for storage to create hundreds of 1000s of jobs across the country. So it's a big and important day.

PETE STEFANOVIC: Are the Greens on board?

CHRIS BOWEN: Not yet. There's ongoing discussions. So I've had discussions across the board with people of good faith in the Parliament on sensible suggestions and improvements to the bill. We've conducted those discussions in the framework that the Prime Minister and I have outlined very clearly, that we'll be sticking to our mandate and the agenda we took to the election. That's not up for negotiation. But we're always happy to talk to people about good ideas who are happy to talk to us. Unfortunately, Pete, the Liberal Party has countered themselves out of that discussion, Peter Dutton just said, I'm against it right from the beginning without seeing the bill, without talking to his shadow cabinet or his party room. So that's pretty unfortunate, means the Liberal Party hasn't changed, but it is what it is. We're getting on with the job anyway.

PETE STEFANOVIC: Sure. So back to the Greens. What's the hold-up? What are the discussions about?

CHRIS BOWEN: I wouldn't say there's a hold-up here, because I haven't even introduced legislation yet. So there's a process..

PETE STEFANOVIC: What’s the sticking point for the Greens, though?

CHRIS BOWEN: Oh, look, I'm not going to talk about the discussions that happen between the Greens and us until we're ready to say whether those discussions are going forward or not. But as I said, you would expect the discussions to reflect our both public positions, our public position is that we're sticking to 43. That's our private position, our public position is that we, we've got a mandate to do these things. That's also what we're saying to the Greens. The Greens have got their public position, which has also been reflected. But of course, where there's areas whether it's a Greens or Independents or anybody else, or if they were up for it the Liberal Party, where we can talk about areas where we do agree, and we can make it work. Of course, a sensible Government of grownups does that.

PETE STEFANOVIC: So in the end, what concessions were given to the Greens?

CHRIS BOWEN: No, I wouldn't put it in terms of concessions, what I would put in terms of with the Greens and the crossbench more broadly, they had suggestions to make things more explicit that we're already there, to clarify some of the language to do that sort of thing, more than happy to take that stuff on board. And that's what we've done. It's a floor, not a ceiling. The targets have to go up in the future in terms of 2035 and 2040. That's clear in the bill, all those things are worthy of discussion. But as I said, we stick to our agenda and our mandate, and that's what we'll get on to implement. This legislation is best practice. It's ideal, it's very good. If it doesn't pass, we'll just get on with the job anyway. That's what we've been doing anyway, since day one and we'll continue but this legislation does help if it's passed, send the message to investors in Australia and around the world.

PETE STEFANOVIC: You just mentioned the floor there. If 43% is the floor, what do you hope the ceiling is? 

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, it's not so much about floors versus ceilings. What it is, is about 43 is our target, as we said to the UNFCCC where we notified them of our new target, we hope and expect Australians working together in industry and unions and communities in Government, state, federal and local, will be able to do even better. But 43% is what we're going for. It's our target. That's what the modelled result of all our policies is and that's what we're committing to do.

PETE STEFANOVIC: And what happens if targets aren't reached? What sort of punishment will be meted out?

CHRIS BOWEN: We will be held to account by the Australian people. That's what will happen and we will be held transparent and accountable, and part of the bill is that I'll provide a report to Parliament every year on how we're going. If we're not going well I'll have to make that very clear to the Parliament and what we're going to do about it.

PETE STEFANOVIC: Okay, but, you know, no one's being sent off to the slammer if they don't get there?

CHRIS BOWEN: No, neither you nor I will be off to the slammer. But what we're doing Pete is holding ourselves accountable. We're also empowering the Climate Change Authority to give us advice about best practice going forward, future targets in an open and transparent way. It's about open openness and transparency, hold ourselves to account, good Government, good governance, and also about those messages we send to the private sector that were open for business for renewables for transmission and for storage.

PETE STEFANOVIC: Okay, as for a 2035 target, I know you don't have a public number in mind just yet, but do you have a private number in mind?

CHRIS BOWEN: Give us a break. Pete. I'm only just introducing the 2030 to Parliament today. 

PETE STEFANOVIC: All right. I'll try one more. The Carbon Markets Institute chief says it needs to be high 60 or low 70% reduction of 2005 levels. Is that in the ballpark?

CHRIS BOWEN: Nice try Pete, I'm introducing the 2030 target today, just gave me, I mean, we’re elected a few weeks ago. We're getting on with the job but I'll get to the 2035 target but let's bed down the 2030 target and legislation first one, one step at a time.

PETE STEFANOVIC: When do you expect it to pass? 

CHRIS BOWEN: We want it to pass the Lower House, the House of Representatives this fortnight. That's what we want, and then we'll send it to the Senate.

PETE STEFANOVIC: Okay, just a final one here. Whatever savings we make on emissions, it's going to be blasted out of the water by China, our annual emissions output chewed up by China every three weeks. With that said, what impact will we have on the global story?

CHRIS BOWEN: Yeah, this is a bit of an argument that you hear a bit, frankly, mainly from people who want to delay or deny action. Australia is the 14th largest emitter in the world and one of the highest per capita, we do have a responsibility. Sure, we're not the world's biggest emitter. But this is a global problem. And we're part of the globe and we've got to take action and to say that we don't count when we're the 14th biggest emitter, there's hundreds of countries lower than us in emissions. We are a bigger economy, we're in the G20. We do have responsibilities. And also these are great opportunities. These policies will create jobs and investment even if we didn't have that obligation. It will be good for the country, good for our national security, good for our economy to act on climate change.

PETE STEFANOVIC: Okay, Chris Bowen, the Climate Change and Energy Minister, thanks for your time this morning. Talk to you soon.