Another embarrassing Labor backflip on climate change
14/08/10
Today’s rushed and desperate-looking Labor backflip will only reinforce the sense of chaos in Labor’s approach on climate policy.
Six weeks ago Labor dumped the very mechanism that encouraged tree planting and carbon off-set projects in Australia.
The carbon off-set announcement by Julia Gillard simply reinforces the chaos that lies within the Labor Party on climate action in a plan that short-changes farmers.
The Government’s scrapping of the Greenhouse Friendly scheme was slammed by Australian companies that helped to create investment in climate solutions.
Labor went into a policy-free zone on Australian carbon off-sets. We warned then that the situation was neither tenable nor sustainable.
Now, late in the election campaign they pull today’s announcement out of their hat of tricks.
Labor’s solution to climate change has been their much-derided Citizens’ Assembly – which their own colleagues are now publicly complaining about – and their flawed Cash-for-Clunkers scheme.
After spending much of the last three years rejecting the Coalition’s Direct Action strategies like tree-planting and soil carbon, Labor now suddenly supports them.
Labor’s claim that the Coalition scheme would not allow Australian farmers to access carbon markets is a fabrication. Our scheme offers the added benefit of access to funds through our $10.5 billion over 9 years Emissions Reduction Fund.
Julia Gillard’s scheme short-changes farmers by offering them only a fraction of what the Coalition plan could deliver from the ERF.
Today’s announcement is too little too late. The Coalition remains the only party with a comprehensive plan to achieve our 2020 emissions target. Labor’s backflip announced today represents the first steps towards their big new carbon tax and higher electricity charges.
Labor is looking more and more desperate and chaotic on climate policy.
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