Amended ETS introduced to Lower House

3 Feb 2010, 10:26 am   -   Source: AAP
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Family First senator Steve Fielding, known for his climate change skepticism, said the coalition policy was a bandaid solution. (AAP)

Family First senator Steve Fielding, known for his climate change skepticism, said the coalition policy was a bandaid solution. (AAP)

The government is making a third attempt to win parliamentary approval for its carbon pollution reduction scheme by introducing amended legislation to the lower house.

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The coalition's new climate action policy has failed to win over a key crossbench senator. Steve Fielding says funding the $3.2 billion policy would come at a cost to health and education services.

The Family First senator, known for his climate change skepticism, said the coalition policy was a bandaid solution.

"They've realised the government is in trouble," he told reporters in Canberra.

Senator Fielding and other crossbenchers helped to vote down Labor's emissions trading scheme twice in the upper house last year.

The government is making a third attempt to win parliamentary approval for its carbon pollution reduction scheme by introducing amended legislation to the lower house.

Labor needs the support of at least seven non-government senators to have the legislation pass the upper house.

Senator Fielding also fired a shot at The Nationals for saying the science on climate change had been settled.

"I believe in climate change but there are still questions about the science," he said. "It looks like Barnaby Joyce and The Nationals have sold out the farmers and many Australians who still have concerns about the science."

Former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull will be the only lower house coalition MP to cross the floor when it comes to a vote on Labor's emissions trading scheme, a Liberal backbencher says.

"There has been talk about one particular member in the Reps crossing the floor but I haven't heard of any others," Dennis Jensen told AAP on Wednesday.

Asked about Mr Turnbull's authority among backbenchers, Dr Jensen - a climate change sceptic - said: "There is no mood in the party for any sort of rebellion at the moment."

Liberal Senator Gary Humphries, who once backed Mr Turnbull's push for an ETS, said he was "a very pleased man" with the coalition's new climate policy.

"I think that those people who were wavering in the past are, for the most part, convinced it's the way to go," he told reporters, adding it was well articulated and well thought out.

The ACT senator was not as happy with suggestions the $3.2 billion policy could be funded by reducing the public service.

"But there's no indication that's going to be the case," he said.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham, who had supported an ETS, said there was now great choice on the table. "Previously it was a one-dimensional, technical debate," he said.

"Now we have a new option, a new alternative that will give Australians a way to do something for the climate." Senator Birmingham said Mr Turnbull was entitled to his views, but the coalition believed in action on climate change.

"There may be a little disagreement with Malcolm and the rest of us about how to get action nowadays," he said.

Nationals Senator Fiona Nash said there was overwhelming support in the coalition for direct action on climate change.

The coalition's new climate action policy has failed to win over a key crossbench senator. Steve Fielding says funding the $3.2 billion policy would come at a cost to health and education services.

The Family First senator, known for his climate change skepticism, said the coalition policy was a bandaid solution.

"They've realised the government is in trouble," he told reporters in Canberra.

Senator Fielding and other crossbenchers helped to vote down Labor's emissions trading scheme twice in the upper house last year.

The government is making a third attempt to win parliamentary approval for its carbon pollution reduction scheme by introducing amended legislation to the lower house on Tuesday.

Labor needs the support of at least seven non-government senators to have the legislation pass the upper house. Senator Fielding also fired a shot at The Nationals for saying the science on climate change had been settled.

"I believe in climate change but there are still questions about the science," he said. "It looks like Barnaby Joyce and The Nationals have sold out the farmers and many Australians who still have concerns about the science."

Former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull will be the only lower house coalition MP to cross the floor when it comes to a vote on Labor's emissions trading scheme, a Liberal backbencher says.

"There has been talk about one particular member in the Reps crossing the floor but I haven't heard of any others," Dennis Jennis told AAP on Wednesday.

Asked about Mr Turnbull's authority among backbenchers, Dr Jensen - a climate change sceptic - said: "There is no mood in the party for any sort of rebellion at the moment."

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the coalition's policy was a "mish-mash". "And I hear (opposition finance spokesman) Barnaby Joyce wants to stop people getting help to insulate their ceilings to fund the big polluters," he told reporters.

"What an extraordinary ill-logic."

The Greens would go the election as the champions of climate change while both big parties struggled to get up to a five per cent reduction in carbon emissions, he said. Labor Senator Doug Cameron said the coalition was the "same rabble" even though it had a new leader and Senator Joyce couldn't explain where the money would come from to fund the coalition policy.

"This is not a policy for the future, this is not a policy for the nation, this is an absolute con-job," he said.

The opposition's climate action spokesman Greg Hunt said Labor's planned ETS had $40 billion worth of "secret payments" to polluters to continue business as usual.

Under the coalition's alternative scheme firms that made real reductions in carbon emissions would benefit, he said.

This would include farmers who sequestered carbon in their soils, power companies that cleaned up old and inefficient power stations and mining companies that cleaned up coal mines.

"Those things are the things that attract a real benefit from Australia," Mr Hunt said.

Nationals leader Warren Truss said that under the coalition's scheme, those who increased their emissions would have to pay penalties.

"It is a complete nonsense for Labor to be suggesting that our scheme provides comfort for the polluters," he said.

"They'll be an appropriate mechanism in there to make it unattractive for people to increase their emissions."

Labor MP Bernie Ripoll said explaining an ETS was a "difficult issue", even to an electorate supportive of the need to combat climate change.

"We can always better explain our policy," he told reporters. Asked if big polluters should be made to pay, Nationals backbencher Darren Chester said it was "critically important" for the power industry to stay viable.

"The stupid thing about this whole debate is that Kevin Rudd has made these people feel like they've done something wrong and they haven't," he said.

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