30-April-2009
Portfolio Media Releases, Environment, Emissions Trading Scheme
PETER CAVE: The Senate debate on the Government's scheme to tackle climate change is drawing close and with every day the Government is being squeezed harder and harder by forces on all sides of the political spectrum.
The Opposition says it has new evidence that the scheme is deeply flawed, it will hurt industry and cost jobs and may not be the best way of cutting carbon pollution anyway. And the Greens say the Government's scheme is economic lunacy because it won't do enough.
The Climate Change Minister Penny Wong is fighting on. She says the Government is still determined to get its plan through the Senate this winter.
From Canberra, Emma Griffiths reports.
EMMA GRIFFITHS: The Centre for International Economics is the latest group to issue a report on the Government's carbon pollution reduction scheme. Its review was commissioned by the Opposition and the findings have convinced the Coalition that the Government's plan is not the way to go.
It's concluded that the scheme potentially threatens the balance sheets in a number of key industries and that there's no clear evidence that the Government's proposal is the best solution.
Opposition spokesman Andrew Robb.
ANDREW ROBB: This report is a wake-up call for the Federal Government. This report establishes very clearly that the Government has got serious work to do to fix this deeply flawed scheme that they've put in place.
No-one is saying it's all or nothing. What we're saying is go around back and do the work, fix up the flaws. Do not put in jeopardy tens of thousands of Australian jobs.
Full interview transcript can be found at: http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2557117.htm
Media Contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620