26-February-2009
Portfolio Media Releases, Emissions Trading Scheme
The Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme has suffered a further blow with the decision by the National Executive of the Australian Industry Group to oppose the Government’s preferred 2010 start date.
Today’s announcement (attached) that the National Executive of the Australian Industry Group have resolved that “the start of the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) should be delayed until 2012” is just the latest in a series of announcements by the business community reflecting their concern about the impact of the Government’s flawed emissions trading scheme.
In the last week alone concerns have been raised by OneSteel, BlueScope, the Australian Farm Institute and now the Australian Industry Group about the Government’s scheme.
"When it comes to climate change, the government is making it up as they go along. They are all over the place," said the Opposition's spokesman on emissions trading design, Andrew Robb.
“Despite the concerns raised by industry, the agricultural sector, and even members of his own caucus and ministry, the Prime Minister presses on with his embarrassing emissions trading scheme.
“The Australian Industry Group has said that ‘the 2010 start date is neither necessary nor realistic’ and that the 2010 timetable has ‘become unrealistic because of the impacts of the global financial crisis..’ This is the same crisis that the Government’s modelling refers to as a ‘shorter run fluctuation’.
“The concerns of the Australian Industry Group reflect the views of many businesses that I am meeting and what the Coalition has been saying ever since Mr Rudd picked a political inspired, artificial start date of 2010.
“The Government can’t even decide amongst themselves whether to have an inquiry into their scheme or not. They are in total chaos on this issue,” said Mr Robb.
“The design of the scheme the Government has put forward is deeply flawed. It is imposing at least a two and half billion dollar tax on exports and import competing industries, despite the government promising before the election that import competing and export industries in Australia would not be disadvantaged. To rub salt into the wound the Government’s scheme will do little, if anything, to reduce CO2 emissions.
“The Government’s scheme is going to cost jobs, it’s going to kill investment and it’s not going to see any reduction in CO2 of any consequence. They’ve failed on all fronts. Penny Wong calls that balance; I call that total failure.
“It is only because of Penny Wong’s failures that Greg Combet has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change. Mr Combet’s test is to use his history as a union official to listen to what industry has to say and to stand up for the jobs of Australian workers. If Mr Combet does not protect Australian jobs he will be a failure too.
"The Government is in total disarray. They need to go back to what they promised at the last election, namely to protect Australian jobs and see real reductions in CO2 emissions.”
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620