Dr Dennis Jensen calls calls for a repeal on the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act - Dr Dennis Jensen MP

“Australia requires tens of billions of dollars to be spent on coal-to-liquids or gas to liquids plants to offset our rapidly declining oil self-sufficiency. The Rudd Government’s Resources Super Profit Tax is sending the wrong signal to potential investors in those plants”, says Federal Member for Tangney Dennis Jensen.

“Stymieing investment in the liquid fuels sector is putting Australia’s energy security at risk, as well as resulting in a blowout of the trade deficit”, Dr Jensen said.

“The National Greenhouse and Energy Report Act is also sending the wrong signal to investors and should be repealed.”

“The Government expects companies to pay for energy audits which have no substantive aim and yet come at a huge cost to the companies which must engage the services of auditors and accountants”, Dr Jensen said.

“According to he Government’s own website, the first objective of the NGER is to underpin the introduction of an emissions trading scheme.”

“As the Government has shelved plans for an ETS, it must also release companies from their reporting duties.”

“This is burdensome legislation that costs private enterprise millions each year”, Dr Jensen said.

The NGER’s first annual reporting period began in 2008, requiring corporations that meet an NGER threshold to report their greenhouse gas emissions, energy production, energy consumption and other information specified under NGER legislation.

“Excessive government regulation kills productivity and economic growth; as the government has no plan to introduce its Emissions Trading Scheme it should release companies from their NGER reporting requirements by repealing the act”, Dr Jensen