The bills to repeal the carbon tax and the emissions trading scheme legislated by the Gillard government have been passed for the third time by the House of Representatives, this time with revised amendments originally proposed by the Palmer United Party.
The Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, moved the amendments which were hammered out over the weekend in negotiations with Clive Palmer. The amendments strengthen the obligations on energy providers to pass on cost savings to consumers.
In the first of a series of votes just before 6pm tonight, the House voted 85-54 to pass the bills on the second reading, with Clive Palmer and the independent member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, supporting the government.
Subsequent votes were carried by 83-54 and 83-53, with Katter absent. The Greens member, Adam Bandt, and the other two independents, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, joined with the ALP to oppose the bills.
The bills now go to the Senate where they are expected to be passed by the end of the week.
- Watch the result of the vote announced in the House (2m)
Palmer says the crisis “was brought on by the government” which refuses to recognise Palmer United as a political party, “despite the fact that Palmer United received 5.6% of the national vote at the last election, while the Deputy Prime Minister’s party, the National Party, only managed 4%”.
Christensen, 36, was elected in 2010 and re-elected last year. 