Minchin fronts ETS revolt

19 Nov 2009, 4:13 pm   -   Source: AAP, SBS Staff
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Kevin Rudd called on Malcolm Turnbull to get his partyroom into line as critics found their voice on the ETS in parliament today.

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The government's emission trading scheme in its current form could be headed for defeat, with opposition senators taking turns to deliver tirades against the plan for a second day.

Behind the scenesthe coalition and Labor are negotiating a raft of amendments proposed by the opposition.

Coalition senate leader Nick Minchin says the chamber should reject the scheme in its current form.

He says the government is simply using the threat of a double dissolution to blackmail the Senate into supporting this radical legislation, but nothing Australia does on its own will have any effect whatsoever on the global climate.

Minchin: Labour  'did not respect mandates'

Minchin claimed Labor did not respect mandates when the coalition was in government.
"We had mandates for Work Choices, we had mandates for the sale of Telstra, we had a mandate for the GST," he told reporters.

"The Labor party voted against every single one of them. The Labor party never respected any sort of mandate that we had."

Senator Minchin said he does not expect the coalition to hold a joint parties room over the weekend to discuss the outcome of negotiations.

"I'm assuming at the party room meeting next Tuesday we will receive a report from Mr Macfarlane on the negotiations.

"I hope that that meeting will make a decision as to whether there is any basis for support for this bill or not."

Nationals senator Fiona Nash said Mr Macfarlane was entitled to make his comments about a mandate.

"But our role as the Nationals is to make sure we do the right thing by regional Australia," she told reporters, adding she would be "absolutely voting" against the legislation. 

Rudd: Turnbull must deal with 'wackier' elements

Kevin Rudd called on Malcolm Turnbull to get his partyroom into line before the end of next week, while Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner claimed Turnbull was being held hostage by the 'wackier' fringe of the Liberal Party.

Tanner was accused of unparliamentary language for saying Minchin is “incubating a rural militia from the backwoods of Montana” - but hit back by saying that Liberal MP Chris Pyne called them 'fruitloops'


 

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Your Comments

Well thank God for our political system, because it would seem that finally emissions trading has been revealed for the scam that it is.

JENNY - from SYDNEY, 3 years ago

Well done to the Nationals, & a handful of Liberals -the only people who seem to remember to place Australia's interests above those of foreign powers. Shame on those in Labour who are bowing to foreign governments. Rudd and Wong have been influenced by foreign powers to push emissions trading legislation instead of taking time to have proper discussions & disclosure to the public. They plan to give $ 7 billion + annually to these foreign theives.

Fiona Nash gets it right

Grrr - from Perth, 3 years ago

Fiona Nash gets it right. Look at the facts; Rudd is a denier. With the latest information from the UK it is clear the whole Climate Change rhetoric is a scam. The basis of the CO2 link to temperature is a fabrication. In fact it would seem the 'hockey stick Mann' is still active. Global Warming is not proven; the numbers were rigged - the organisation responsible for the IPCC report has members whose emails make that fact clear. CO2 is not the villain in this charade. It is the UN.

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