After a perfectly reasonable delay yesterday to finish other important legislation (which the government, in its usual, cheap, point-scoring way used as a stick to batter the Opposition), debate on the ETS has finally got underway in the Senate. We’re in such an odd situation here, with debate going on in Parliament, and parallel back-room negotiations going on outside. With chummy assurances going on outside Parliament, and harsh rhetoric within. Bizarre.
The Opposition just look like a bunch of wet rags, dancing to the Government’s tune – it’s pathetic. But at least inside the chamber, the Coalition are doing a passable impression of an Opposition:
Liberal senator Ian Macdonald has kicked off upper house debate on the government’s planned emissions trading scheme, dubbing it a “shambles.”
The suite of 11 bills setting up Labor’s carbon pollution reduction scheme was voted down by all non-government senators in August.
The government reintroduced the draft laws to the lower house in October, and on Monday used its numbers in that chamber to send them onto the Senate.
Senator Macdonald foreshadowed a difficult debate on the legislation.
“It’s going to be one of the most difficult debates to prosecute because the bill before the chamber today is exactly the same bill that the Senate voted down three months ago,” he told parliament on Wednesday.
“What we are debating today is a piece of flawed legislation that the Senate has already expressed its views on.”
The coalition and the government are currently negotiating amendments to the scheme, which are yet to be finalised.
“The government’s climate change policy is in a complete shambles,” Senator Macdonald said.
Then why on earth are you “negotiating” to pass it? Climate madness from the Opposition.
Read it here.
Australian Climate Madness 
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