'The climate bill supported by independent MPs in Canberra today will make an important contribution to the evolution of Australia’s approach to this important policy area," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.
"Decisions about investment and reinvestment across our economy will be greatly aided by credible long term frameworks. Charting a course for Australia to net zero emissions by 2050 that is backed-up by a policy suite that also preserves industry competitiveness and social equity is a high priority.
"The independent climate Bill deserves close scrutiny and evaluation by all stakeholders and all sides of politics. For example, with a membership that includes many trade-exposed businesses, Ai Group would like to see any framework keep a close eye on the interaction between climate policy and trade competitiveness. We will be consulting our members over coming weeks.
"At the national level Australian politics has been riven by climate policy for too long. It doesn’t need to be that way. In places such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand with which we share political tradition we see a healthier balance of agreement on goals and competition on the best ways to achieve them. The same is increasingly true here in Australia among the States and Territories. The bill put forward today could potentially provide the common ground to cross that divide. The transparent and independent advisory framework proposed is something all sides of politics should hopefully be able to support," Mr Willox said.
Media enquiries: Tony Melville – 0419 190 347
