Turnbull launches carbon trade gamble

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our or .

| Sourced From |

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull is upping the ante in the row over carbon trading, backing tougher emissions cuts than the Government while bidding to launch a Senate enquiry into the much-criticised emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The Coalition is trying to embarrass the Federal Government over its decision to scrap an inquiry into the ETS and plans to launch a Senate inquiry with terms of reference identical to the one Labor scrapped last week.

Speaking on AM this morning, Mr Turnbull said the Coalition would push for higher emissions cuts than those laid down in Government targets.

“Certainly we should cut our emissions by more than what Mr Rudd is proposing,” he said.

“I gave a speech in January which showed how we could, at relatively low cost and with great additional benefits to our environment, cut an additional 150 million tonnes a year by 2020 and do that very realistically without rocket science technology.”

Mr Turnbull says the Opposition will support a “well designed” emissions trading scheme but he will also be “listening hard” to those who are pushing hard for the Government to use a carbon tax instead.

“[An emissions trading scheme] has to be well designed and it has to be able to work effectively with other schemes internationally,” he said.

“That’s one of the reasons why we don’t believe the Government should finalise its design until we know what the Americans are going to do, until we know what is happening at the Copenhagen summit at the end of this year.”

The Coalition will need the support of crossbench senators to launch a Senate inquiry and Greens leader Bob Brown says he supports the move.

“The fact is that this Government and this minister Penny Wong have failed and she has to be taken into the real world of dealing with climate change by the Senate,” he said.

“Any moves to improve what Penny Wong and Kevin Rudd have put forward by the Oppositon will be a good one.

“The Greens are very strong on this. This is our core issue to deal with in the run to the next election, and we’re not going to turn our back on it. We are moving for a wide-ranging, open inquiry.”

The Greens’ Christine Milne has pledged her support, but she questions the Coalition’s motives.

“We won’t stand in the way of the Coalition, but it clearly is playing political games,” Senator Milne said.

Senator Milne wants to toughen up the terms of reference to address what she says are serious flaws in the scheme’s design.

Mr Turnbull says holding a Senate inquiry is needed so there can be more public debate on the issue, but he is not yet sure if he will support the Greens’ terms of reference.

“I don’t know what they’re proposing but we need the minor party support to have the inquiry, so they have a bit of leverage,” he said.

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has told AM that Mr Turnbull’s position as extraordinary.

“It seems that he’s spent a lot of last week without any friends and now he’s writing policy on the run, trying to make friends,” she said.

“It is not possible to reduce emissions in this country over time, and to continue to reduce them, unless you’re prepared to do the hard economic tasks of transforming the economy.

“If Mr Turnbull is going to put on the table a target he has to have a plan to get there.”