05-March-2009
Portfolio Media Releases, Emissions Trading Scheme
Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party are all over the place when it comes to emissions trading.
Clearly the Prime Minister revealed more then he meant to when he spoke of delaying the start of the emissions trading scheme but this is consistent with the private conversations we know he is having.
There can be no doubt that Labor is in chaos on emissions trading.
Labor’s emissions trading scheme changes every day, the Minister has proven such a failure she had to get a new Parliamentary Secretary to help her sell the message, Labor don’t even know whether to have an inquiry into their own scheme or not, the Minister can’t give a straight answer about whether voluntary emission cuts will be included, Ministers are having public disagreements about whether there are carbon abatement alternatives that should by included, such as carbon capture in soil, and now they can’t even decide when a scheme will start!
The scheme is deeply flawed, the Minister has failed and the Prime Minister has let slip his deep reservations about whether, during this period of economic uncertainty, it is the time to be introducing a $2.5 billion tax on our globally competing companies.
As currently designed the scheme will cost jobs, kill investment and achieve little or no reduction in CO2 emissions. It fails on all counts.
It’s time for the Prime Minister to face reality.
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620