10-March-2009
Portfolio Media Releases, Workplace Relations, Emissions Trading Scheme
Topics: Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme, Industrial Relations, Polls.
JOE O’BRIEN: Now as we’ve been reporting this morning the Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, is today going to release a draft of the Federal Government’s plans for an emissions trading scheme. To hear the Opposition's concerns about an ETS, the Coalition's emissions trading design spokesman Andrew Robb joins us now from Canberra. Andrew Robb, good morning.
ANDREW ROBB: Good morning. How are you?
JOE O’BRIEN: Not too bad thank you.
ANDREW ROBB: No kangaroo stories?
JOE O’BRIEN: We might see a couple popping up behind you there. Now, you met Christine Milne last night to talk about this senate inquiry, what did you agree to?
ANDREW ROBB: We’ll what we’ve agreed to - because, I think, everyone including many in the caucus thing that what the Government has come up with is so deeply flawed that we need to have an inquiry which we will now have in the Senate for two months which will look more broadly at what can be done which won't coast thousands of jobs but can also do something significant about CO2 emissions. At the moment the Government, ironically they’ve worked long and hard and they’ve delivered a scheme which will cost thousands of jobs, will kill investment and won’t really do anything of any consequence about reducing CO2.
JOE O’BRIEN: But what’s the point of going down this path of a CO2 enquiry when the Government has already committed to an ETS.
ANDREW ROBB: The point is there are alternative ETS’s, to start with. There's alternative emissions trading schemes, none of which have ever been canvassed. There are other approaches, there are complimentary measures, such as soil carbon, and revegetation and - measures, such as soil carbon, revegetation, reducing energy and CO2 emissions from the whole commercial building sector, all of these things which you think would be commonsense don't feature in any way in the Government's scheme that's going to be put on the table today.
JOE O’BRIEN: And a carbon tax is still a possibility?
ANDREW ROBB: All of those things need to get some airing. That's our point of view because what they have come up with is so deeply flawed. No-one is happy. I don't think you could find anybody outside of the Government who would be in any way supportive of what the Government has come up with, and there are many in caucus and even in Cabinet who are deeply disturbed about the direction the Government is taking this, especially at a time when we have got the economy under such enormous pressure, to bring in a scheme which is going to demonstrable make our businesses uncompetitive around the world, cost thousands of jobs and at the same time do nothing about reducing CO2, it's just ridiculous.
JOE O’BRIEN: So the Government’s hoping to have this draft legislation passed by June; there's no way that’s going to happen in terms of what you’re Saying now?
ANDREW ROBB: What we have agreed and it has to go to our senate Coalition party room today, but I'm very hopeful that it will have clear passage there, an inquiry will start immediately, it will go for two months, and depending on what comes out of that inquiry, it's still consistent with debating the Government's bill in June, and seeking a wide range of changes, I suspect, during that debate.
JOE O’BRIEN: There's no way you would support it in its current?
ANDREW ROBB: I don’t think anybody supports it in its current form. I mean why would you support some scheme that's going to cost literally tens of thousand of jobs and do absolutely nothing about reducing CO2 emissions, it fails on all counts.
JOE O’BRIEN: Just briefly, turning to a couple of other issues, on industrial relations is the Opposition going to vote against this bill or not?
ANDREW ROBB: We’ve got an important party room meeting this morning. Of course, we have said that we feel that those issues that were in WorkChoices, the Government’s got a mandate to make those changes but I think as everyone is now starting to realise, what is being put before the parliament has got a host of other changes to industrial relations, which have got nothing to do with WorkChoices, and have everything to do with, you know , increasing union power, taking us back to the '80s, getting a culture of compulsory arbitration, centralised wage decisions…
JOE O’BRIEN: So there’s a chance you will block this?
ANDREW ROBB: There are things there that we are deeply concerned about, but as I said earlier, those elements which mirrored WorkChoices, the Government, the now Government took it to the last election and they have got a mandate on those issues. That's what we'll be debating this morning in the party room.
JOE O’BRIEN: OK just very briefly and finally, there’s another poll out today showing Peter Costello enjoys double the support of Malcolm Turnbull. Is it time for Peter Costello to step up?
ANDREW ROBB: Peter is entitled and is making a strong contribution as a backbencher. The polls - they've been running these sorts of polls ever since the election. We’re not focussed on this, we’ve got really big issues with emissions trading, with the industrial relations, with just trying to keep people in jobs out there. That is our focus and that’s how we will pursue the months ahead..
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620