Roger Jaensch,Minister for the Environment
While Labor voted with the Government to pass our Container Refund Scheme legislation through the House, it's concerning that Ms White announced, before the debate, that they still intend to refer the Bill to some yet-to-be-determined inquiry, when it reaches the Legislative Council.
Tasmanians have told us that they want a Container Refund Scheme (CRS) and this Government is committed to delivering a scheme by 2022.
Labor's plan to send the Bill to an inquiry will only delay the roll-out of a scheme unnecessarily, or kill the Bill entirely.
Tasmanians are not paying Ms White to outsource her job to the Legislative Council. Labor had the perfect opportunity to debate the Bill in full yesterday, but couldn't seem to organise themselves. It was clear Labor had not done their homework.
Our scheme will ensure every Tasmanian can get a refund for their containers, provide opportunities for community groups and charities, reduce litter and maximise the number of containers returned and recycled.
We know this because we have undertaken extensive consultation with stakeholders and the wider community and have sought advice from an Expert Reference Group made up of organisations and individuals with diverse sectoral expertise and knowledge.
We are confident that our scheme will deliver the best deal for Tasmania, and that it is supported by the broader Tasmanian public.
If Labor saw fit to support the bill in the House of Assembly, why would they not want it to go through the normal process in the Legislative Council?
Rebecca White needs to answer the question: why is Labor trying to delay the roll-out of a Container Refund Scheme that Tasmanians have been calling for?
