Australia’s conservative Liberal-National government’s Commission of Audit did not consider the government’s multibillion-dollar Direct Action carbon reduction plan, and key details of the scheme remain unknown.
The head of the audit of government spending, Tony Shepherd, has said that the commission had not considered the controversial $3.2 billion policy because it was not provided with any details.
The comments, made to Fairfax Media, come ahead of the imminent release of the government’s Direct Action white paper, probably today, and a week before the Commission of Audit report is released.
The office of Environment Minister Greg Hunt has closely guarded elements of the Direct Action plan.
Fairfax Media reports the paper is expected to clarify key pieces of information, including how Direct Action will work and the mechanisms behind the key component of the policy, the $1.55 billion emissions reduction fund.
Mr Shepherd told Fairfax Media the commission had been unable to assess Direct Action because there was no information available on the policy during the three months it was conducting its review.
“The Commission of Audit couldn’t really look at it because we didn’t have a policy to look at,” he said.
“If they had a policy and it was out there we would have had a look at it, but in the absence of any detail we couldn’t.”
Mr Shepherd said that as a result, the commission’s report contained no information on Direct Action, although he did not necessarily view that as a problem, despite the scheme carrying a price tag of up to $3.2 billion.
“There’s a number of other government policies and things that are evolving at the moment,” he said.
“You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”
Fairfax Media reports the government is facing a tough battle to win over MPs with its plan to replace the former Labor government’s carbon price legislation.
Labor and the Australian Greens Party do not support Direct Action and mining billionaire and federal MP Clive Palmer declared this week that his Palmer United Party (PUP) also would not back the “hopeless” policy.
Mr Palmer has threatened to reconsider his position on repeal of the carbon price laws and the mining tax if the government does not bring Direct Action legislation to the Senate for debate.
