Carbon trading bill due within weeks: Swan

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Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan says the Government remains committed to its plans for a carbon trading scheme.

Last week the Government called off a parliamentary inquiry into emissions trading after doubts were raised about how it would affect the timing of the Government’s plans.

The Government is also facing calls to consider implementing a carbon tax as an alternative.

But Mr Swan has told Channel 10 that the Government will publish a draft of the carbon trading legislation in the next few weeks.

“We’ll take that legislation to the House of Representatives and through to the Senate from May onwards,” he said.

“We’re going to take it through enthusiastically, we’ll have the debate, but it doesn’t help when the Opposition in this country can’t even craft a coherent position.

“How can we possibly talk to them about what may happen in the Senate, in a situation where they are so divided?

“They don’t even accept that climate change is a problem in large sections of the Liberal party.

“We’ll see whether the Liberal Party and Joe Hockey can craft a coherent policy amidst all of the confusion that reigns on their frontbench when it comes to this critical area of investment and certainty for the Australian economy.”

But Joe Hockey says the Government can not expect the Opposition to say whether or not it will support its carbon trading scheme until the legislation is released.

Late last week Opposition frontbencher George Brandis said the Coalition would not vote for the Government’s scheme.

But Mr Hockey has told ABC1’s Insiders program that the Opposition cannot make that decision until it has seen the legislation.

The [emissions trading scheme] is meant to start in 2010,” he said.

“Well, here we are in February 2009 and no one has seen the legislation.”