Just don't tell me the debate's over…
Censored paper?
This will cause a stir. Wouldn’t mind seeing some of the internal CSIRO emails either! Too much to hope for, I think…
A senior CSIRO environmental economist has resigned after saying his criticism of the emissions trading scheme (ETS) was censored.
Dr Clive Spash has resigned after three years with CSIRO. For most of this year, he had been in a dispute over the publication of his paper which criticised carbon trading schemes.
Read it here.
Sunk - by the Aussies!
It’s the gift that keeps on giving! News of the ETS defeat has spread far and wide. Not only have we sunk the domestic ETS, but the UK Telegraph reports that our actions might scupper any remaining vestiges of a chance of a deal at Copenhagen:
Australia has dealt a major blow to any international deal on climate change ahead of the Copenhagen summit by failing to introduce new laws to control pollution.
The carbon trading bill, which has been rejected by parliament, would have set up one of the world’s biggest “cap and trade” markets.
The scheme works by limiting the amount of greenhouse gases industry can produce and forcing them to pay money for any extra emissions by trading with other companies.
But the Australian Senate, that is already deeply divided over the science of climate change, voted down the new legislation.
It is not only damaging to Kevin Rudd, the country’s Prime Minister, but could scupper efforts to control greenhouse gases on a wider scale at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen later this month.
Mr Rudd was seen as a leading advocate of tackling climate change on the world stage and was on his way back from a meeting with President Obama on the issue when news of the defeat came through.
…
Frank Jotzo, an Australian National University expert on international climate change negotiations, said the failure of Australia to introduce legislation will make developing countries less likely to agree to cut their own emissions.
“It’s not like the talks will stall because of the lack of an Australian emissions trading scheme,” he said. “But if the legislation had been passed, that would have sent a very positive signal internationally and, in particular, to developing countries.”
I am looking forward to Rudd’s forlorn entrance to Copenhagen – empty handed.
Read it here.
The way ahead for Australia
The Coalition policy on climate change will not include any ETS or carbon tax, and will re-open the debate on nuclear power – about time too. Penny Wong, in her closing speech to the Senate yesterday held up the examples of the US, UK and France as countries which have working emissions trading schemes, conveniently forgetting one key fact: they all have massive nuclear power capability.
TONY Abbott plans to fight a climate change election using land management and energy efficiency measures to slash greenhouse emissions instead of an emissions trading scheme or a carbon tax.
And as the Senate yesterday buried Kevin Rudd’s proposed carbon emissions trading scheme, the new Opposition Leader said his alternative means of reducing emissions would meet the same targets for sharp reductions in emissions proposed by Labor.
Mr Abbott’s promise came as Labor folded in the face of his dare for an early election on climate.
Despite the Senate’s rejection of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme establishing a double-dissolution trigger, Julia Gillard said the government would give the Coalition “one more chance” to change its mind. The Acting Prime Minister said Labor would introduce a new CPRS bill, including amendments agreed to by the Coalition under ousted leader Malcolm Turnbull, to parliament in February in the hope that “calmer heads” within the Coalition would shift their positions. (source)
But there is precious little hope of that:
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he expects the Coalition’s position to harden over the summer break.
He has ruled out taking an emissions trading scheme or a carbon tax to the next election as Coalition policy and says there is “very little” chance the Coalition would vote for one in February.
Nationals Senate Leader Barnaby Joyce does not think the public will be impressed by the idea of a third vote.
“The Australian people will just get furious with you. We’ve made our decision, you’re playing a game and we’re sick of it,” he said.
“Get over it, get on with life and get back to the next item of politics.” (source)
Well said, Barnaby, who may soon be on the front bench…
Gillard: fish wife
The ETS is like Monty Python’s parrot: “It’s not dead, it’s just pinin’ for the fjords!”
In an astonishing display of arrogance, Julia Gillard has announced at a press conference that the ETS will be reintroduced into parliament on the first sitting day next year, and she is encouraging Coalition members to vote against their own party to get it through!
Is she hoping to get a different result next time? Sorry, Julia. I can tell you now, it will be voted down again… and again, and again, and again, and again.
The ETS is dead. Get used to it.
However, it is very interesting that they chose not to call a DD straight away, and give the Opposition “one last chance” to pass the ETS. Are they running scared, as Andrew Bolt suggests?
UPDATE: Here’s an excerpt from Julia Gillard’s patronising speech:
We are doing this to give the Liberal Party one chance to work through and deal with this legislation in the national interest. We all know the Liberal Party is deeply divided on this question and there have been many Liberal voices prepared to speak up for the national interest [remind me, how is a massive tax with no effect on the climate “in the national interest” again? – Ed] and to speak in favour of our plan to tackle climate change.
We believe that over the Christmas period there is time for the calmer heads in the Liberal Party to consider this question: to consider acting in the national interest and to join with the Government on the first sitting day when Parliament resumes to take decisive steps to deal with climate change. [maybe you’re hoping that an excess of turkey and mince pies will some how affect Coalition brains? Duh – Ed]
We will bring this Bill back into the Parliament because it’s the right thing to do in the national interest. We are determined to see this legislation pass the Parliament. We know that there are Liberals who are prepared to support this legislation. We know supporting this legislation was the position of the Liberal Party only a few short days ago.
We call on those in the Liberal Party over the summer period who believe in taking responsible action on climate change to consider their position, to consider the position of their Party and to come back to the Parliament next year ready to take action on climate change. (source)
In your dreams, Julia.
Just for the record, Gillard used the phrase “national interest” sixteen times in the press conference, and Penny Wong used it twice. There has seldom been a piece of legislation before the Australian parliament that is less in the national interest.
In all the acres of media coverage of the Coalition’s decision to dump the ETS, 99% of it meekly follows the government line: that the Australian people “want action on climate change” – despite the fact that the action in question, the ETS, will do nothing for climate [I am so sick of writing that – Ed]. The ABC is no different, having already smeared Tony Abbott in various articles, and having hardly reported ClimateGate at all.
So it is interesting that an ABC News Radio poll is currently showing nearly 55%, a sizeable majority, in favour of the Coalition blocking the ETS.
Oops, wrong result
See the current results in the past poll list here.
UPDATE: The final result was 53.2% in favour of the Opposition’s rejection of the ETS, and 46.8% against
Breaking News: the Senate has voted down the ETS. Climate sense prevails, at least for now.
I almost feel sorry for Penny Wong – well, actually, not really. It was bad law, rushed through without proper scrutiny in order to provide Kevin Rudd with a trophy to take to Copenhagen.
Conservative roots
This is precisely what we need – as has been said before, an election campaign is the only way in which the ETS can be exposed for what it is – a tax on everything based on flawed and exaggerated science.
TONY Abbott will steer the Liberal Party back to its conservative roots with a 2010 election campaign portraying Kevin Rudd as a Whitlamesque big spender whose climate change policies will smash Australian jobs.
The new Opposition Leader’s first act after ousting Malcolm Turnbull in a partyroom vote yesterday was to scrap his party’s support for Labor’s carbon emissions trading scheme, which he dismissed as “a great big tax”.
And Mr Abbott immediately moved to repair the Liberals’ shattered relations with the Nationals, embracing their contempt for the ETS after months of Mr Turnbull dismissing their views as irrelevant.
As Senate leader Barnaby Joyce rejoiced in a return of Coalition unity and pledged to pick apart Labor’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme “piece by piece”, the Labor Party released an advertisement warning that an Abbott government would take the nation backwards on climate change and industrial relations.
But Mr Abbott was unabashed, foreshadowing sharper policies on border protection and industrial relations to re-engage with his party’s conservative core.
“We have spent too much time arguing over whether we might look right-wing or that we might look like a return to the Howard government,” Mr Abbott told The Australian last night.
“What we need to do is to apply to problems common sense and forget about the tags.” (source)
Disappointingly, it looks like some Liberal senators will defy the new policy and vote with the government. Here’s the “name-and-shame” list:
Fortunately, these three will not be enough to let the bill through, so by lunchtime, we can say “farewell to the ETS” – for now at least.
Poll results surprising
Because they don’t understand it. Thanks to this government, all they have heard is climate alarmism and the constant refrain that we need the ETS to “save the planet [for the sake of our children and grandchildren – Ed]“, even though it will do nothing for the climate whatsoever. The Herald Sun has some poll results that should make interesting reading for the Tony Abbott camp:
The only way we will have this proper debate on the ETS is via a full blown election campaign. It is clear from this that the Australian public are finally wising up to the spin of Rudd & Wong, and that Malcolm Turnbull is completely out of step with the wishes of the electorate and his own party.
If the next election is a referendum on the ETS, there is no guarantee that Rudd would win.
Read it here.
UPDATE: Piers Ackerman writes:
IT’S a matter of grave concern for stalwart rank-and-file Liberal Party members that Malcolm Turnbull’s number one supporter for his global-warming stance is now no less a figure than Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, while his number two supporter is the former union leader, Greg Combet.
That the embattled Opposition leader enjoys such support underscores the anger of those Liberals who feel Turnbull has taken liberties with his leadership in supporting Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s totally flawed emissions trading legislation.
The backing of a duo last united so publicly in their bid to prop up the historically corrupt Maritime Union of Australia’s stranglehold on the nation’s docks, has not gone unnoticed; and nor has Turnbull’s use of stalling tactics more usually applied in the spivvy world of corporate takeovers than party politics.
Read it here.
And a Poll on The West Australian’s website gives a 70/30 split against the amended ETS after 700 or so votes (see here) – thanks to reader Russ.
One brain cell…
Which, given Kevin Rudd’s usual form in these things (think “no special deal for Sri Lankans”), means he will probably call a double dissolution on January the first.
“I’ve been elected by the Australian people to implement our mandate including the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. We intend to get on with the business of doing that,” he said.
“I’ve said consistently going back a long long time that my belief is the Australian people expect us to fill a full term. My view on that has not changed.”
Read it here.
Australian Climate Madness 
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