The defeat of the Rudd Government's legislation to establish an emissions trading scheme was inevitable, given that it was opposed by all non-Labor Senators. However, all sides of politics still have a chance to show the country they are committed to improving the environment.
In the short term there must be an agreement to have the renewable energy target legislation passed by Federal Parliament. This bill was enmeshed with the ETS legislation in the package that was defeated on Thursday. It must be remembered that setting the 20 per cent target for the production of electricity from solar, wind and geothermal energy was a Labor Party election promise. This will be a great boost to the renewable energy sector, which has the capacity to create thousands of ''green'' jobs for the manufacture and installation of this equipment.
On that basis, the scheme is unequivocally good, as has been demonstrated in other countries. Australia badly needs to give this sector a boost in the long-term interests of reducing our reliance on coal and gas for electricity generation, because that process produces greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which are blamed for global warming.
The reasons for linking the renewable energy target may have been valid but the time has come for the Government to show the lead. Yesterday Prime Minister Kevin Rudd defended the linkage, saying it contained parallel adjustment mechanisms to reduce business complexity. However, ordinary Australians are entitled to ask if the linkage was a political stunt to embarrass Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Understandably, the renewable energy industry is pushing for the immediate decoupling of the bills. It has the support of the Greens, who have moved a motion in the Senate to give precedence to the RET bill over all other business as soon as it is passed in the House of Representatives. The Greens wrote to the Government yesterday calling for the bill to be separated from the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
The Opposition would have supported the renewable energy targets legislation but voted against the package because they believe the ETS legislation is too tough on industry. The Greens opposed the package because they believe the ETS legislation is too soft on polluting industries, such as coal-fired electricity generation.
The Government wants the ETS legislation in place before the United Nations climate-change summit in Copenhagen in December. The linkage of the bills is inexplicable, then, unless the Government grossly miscalculated the parliamentary process or it wanted to deliberately spark speculation about triggers for a double-dissolution election. And it might wish to do that simply to further undermine Mr Turnbull, whose political career is at a low point.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times
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