Mr COMBET (Charlton—Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) (14:53): Today I was very pleased to be able to support the Prime Minister in introducing the carbon price legislation. Eighteen bills were introduced prior to question time in what is one of the most important economic and environmental reforms undertaken in the country. It is the culmination of a debate that has been running for the better part of two decades. We have seen 35 parliamentary inquiries into climate change since 1994. Indeed, there has been a lot of discussion on this issue in this House. Even during this year alone there have been around 250 questions asked on carbon pricing and over 15 separate MPI debates. The fact of the matter is that the time to act is now. There has been lengthy debate, lengthy inquiry, lengthy argument, the policy has been developed, there has been lengthy consultation— Mr Ewen Jones interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for Herbert will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94(a). I could not have been clearer in my warnings! Mr COMBET: The fact is that it is imperative that we begin the transformation of our economy in this way. This transformation will begin with the passage of the clean energy legislation. We need to put in place the incentives for business to invest in clean energy technologies that will allow Australia to maintain its economic growth at the same time as it cuts its pollution. The countries that pioneer the clean technologies of the future will be those that achieve this change and they are the countries that will see strong and consistent economic growth through the next century. They are the economies that will have the competitive edge. The alternative to this is the Leader of the Opposition's prescription, his position of saying 'no' and doing nothing about it. It is pretending that climate change is not occurring. It is attacking the scientists, who say that climate change is occurring. It is attacking the economists, who state that a carbon price is the most efficient way of tackling this problem. By refusing to grapple with the challenges and the opportunities of a carbon constrained world, the Leader of the Opposition would rather see our economy become stagnant and fall behind our competitors. This morning I had the opportunity to meet with a number of experts in the climate change and emissions trading fields who are visiting this country, including representatives from China, India, Denmark, and the United States, and in particular the state of California. Emissions trading will start next year in California—an economy larger than our own. China is on track to pilot six emissions trading schemes from 2013 covering 230 million people and a combined gross domestic product of more than US$1,500 billion. These are extremely important developments in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia must be part of it. A transition to a low-carbon economy is inevitable. The only question is whether we do it in a steady gradual manner that will see tax cuts and protection for jobs, as will occur with the passage of the clean energy legislation, or whether it will be forced upon our economy by external circumstances at far greater cost and with a far more difficult adjustment. The relentless negativity of the Leader of the Opposition would condemn the Australian economy to a much more painful, much more sudden, much more costly shift to a low-carbon economy. It is imperative this parliament carries this legislation.