Foreign Correspondence

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Coalition, world inaction caused ETS delay: Rudd
By online political correspondent Emma Rodgers
Updated 1 hour 42 minutes ago


Mr Rudd has confirmed the emissions trading scheme
has been shelved until at least 2013. (AAP Image:
Dean Lewins)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he has been forced to put his emissions trading scheme (ETS) on ice because of the Coalition's opposition and the slow pace of international climate change action.

Mr Rudd has confirmed the ETS has been shelved until at least 2013 so the Government can consider what the rest of the world will do beyond the expiration of the Kyoto protocol.

He says the Government remains committed to implementing the scheme but the Opposition's refusal to back it and the lack of international progress in the wake of the Copenhagen talks meant it had to be delayed.

"The Liberal Party have executed a complete backflip in their historical position in support of an ETS," he said.

"The rest of the world is being slower to act on appropriate action on climate change.

"It's very plain that the correct course of action is to extend the implementation date."

Mr Rudd has in the past described climate change as a "great moral challenge of our generation" and said action could not be delayed.

The Opposition's about-face on the ETS after Tony Abbott took on the Liberal leadership last year dashed the Government's hope of passing the legislation after Mr Abbott ditched support for an amended scheme negotiated by his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull.

The Greens also refuse to support the bill because they say it gives too many concessions to industry and its emissions reduction targets are too weak.

When asked if the Government would consider negotiating with the Greens, Mr Rudd replied: "Our doors have always remained open to negotiations with people from all sides of politics.

"But when you have one side of politics saying that you cannot act on climate change through an ETS and another side that would happily close the economy down tomorrow, it makes life a bit of a challenge."

The scheme has now been removed from the upcoming budget papers and its delay means the Government could save $2.5 billion over the next three years because it will not have to pay for household and industry compensation.

The legislation had been a key piece of the Government's first-term legislative agenda but it is unlikely to be used as the trigger for a double dissolution election.

Mr Abbott, meanwhile, has accused the Government of lacking credibility.

"It seems the Government has dropped its policy to deal with climate change, namely an ETS, because it is frightened the public think that this really is just a great big new tax on everything," he said.

"He's [Kevin Rudd] running away from it because he seems scared."

Greens Leader Bob Brown says the Government's actions are "disgraceful".

"It seems the Government is dropping all the values issues," he said.

"It seems unable to be able to carry through with proposals which were at the heart of its approach to the last election."

The Australian Conservation Foundation has described the delay as unacceptable,
while the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed the move.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883903.htm

One from within there ..

* Related Story: Abbott's climate stance pure politics: Turnbull ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/15/2845484.htm .. others inside both ..

Abbott's climate stance pure politics: Turnbull
By online political correspondent Emma Rodgers
Updated Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:02am AEDT


'Authentic': John Howard says Tony has altered
the political scene (AAP: Alan Porritt)

* Video: Four Corners seeks to uncover the authentic Tony Abbott (ABC News) .. http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201003/r530702_3014172.asx ..

Former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull says Tony Abbott's decision last year to ditch Coalition support for an emissions trading scheme (ETS) was motivated by politics, not policy.

Mr Abbott took the Liberal leadership from Mr Turnbull last December after arguing that the Opposition should drop Mr Turnbull's position to support the Government's emissions trading laws with negotiated amendments.

Mr Turnbull has taken a swipe at his leader's decision to do so in tonight's Four Corners program, which examines Mr Abbott's rise to the top of the Liberal Party.

The program speaks to several people from Mr Abbott's past, including teachers and friends who knew him at school and university.

Last year the Liberals were bitterly divided over an emissions trading position, with Mr Turnbull arguing that the party would have no credibility with voters if it did not take action on climate change.

The issue came to a head with Mr Turnbull losing a leadership spill by one vote to Mr Abbott, who contested the leadership in protest against Mr Turnbull's position.

"I think it was entirely political in Tony's case," Mr Turnbull tells Four Corners.

"The real issue for me is the policy. I'm a member of Parliament to make Australia a safer and a better place for Australians today and for Australians in generations to come.

"We cannot do that without having an effective policy on climate change."

After the leadership spill, Mr Turnbull criticised Mr Abbott's position as "bullshit". Mr Abbott later announced that the Coalition would combat climate change through direct action measures.

Mr Turnbull says there is no doubt that under Mr Abbott the Liberal party will become more right-wing and conservative than it was when he was leader.

'In with a chance'

But the possible slide to the right under Mr Abbott does not worry former prime minister John Howard.

He has told Four Corners the Coalition is now "in with a chance" to win the election, likely to be held later this year, with Mr Abbott at the helm.

"Tony has altered the political scene, there's no doubt about that," he said.

"There's no disrespect to anybody else, but if you don't recognise that you don't recognise anything about Australian politics."

Mr Howard describes Mr Abbott as an "authentic" person, but former Liberal leader John Hewson has questioned what he is authentic to.

"To himself? To opportunity?" he said.

Mr Abbott was Dr Hewson's press secretary when Dr Hewson was leader in the early 1990s.

Dr Hewson has described him as one of the most interesting and frustrating people he has ever met, who is also very cunning.

"He gets right in your face. He exaggerates. He grabs the headlines, even if he knows that the next day he's going to have to back that off," he said.

An example of this, Dr Hewson says, is Mr Abbott's recent claim that the Government's decision to slash $250 million from commercial TV licence fees as an "election year bribe".

"The word bribe appears, it gets the headline, it creates all the atmosphere. Next day he doesn't actually repeat that, he just says it doesn't look good, it's gone. And he's he's played that role out," he said.

Mr Abbott has been campaigning hard around the country this year ahead of the election.

Last week he surprised women's groups, the Government and his own party by announcing at 26-week paid maternity leave plan to be funded by a levy on big business.

And last month his comments that some people are homeless "by choice" drew criticism from welfare groups.

When asked by Four Corners if he is still committed to halving homelessness by 2020 Mr Abbott replies: "I'd like to see homelessness reduced to zero if possible, but I think it's very unlikely that in this vale of tears that's ever likely to be achieved."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/27/2883903.htm

Politics trumps action on climate change. Disappointment, but not not surprised.