“They don’t want it delayed. They’re in favour of this alternative now that the Government’s CPRS scheme is not going ahead until 2013,” Senator Brown said.
“This is the live option now before the Parliament and Australians are swinging in right behind it.
“[Prime Minister] Kevin Rudd should have another look at the simplicity of this alternative which was recommended to him by Professor Ross Garnaut.”
On Tuesday the Government announced that it was shelving the controversial emissions trading scheme (ETS) until at least 2013.
Mr Rudd has previously described climate change as the “great moral challenge of our generation”.
But he said the ETS was shelved because of the Opposition roadblock in the Senate and the lack of a breakthrough at last year’s Copenhagen climate talks.
Climate jobs
Meanwhile, the Community and Public Sector Union has dismissed calls to sack the public servants who have been working on the Federal Government’s emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey says there is now no need for the 500 staff in the Climate Change Department following the Government’s decision to delay the ETS.
CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood says the idea that you could just sack highly skilled employees who could be used elsewhere is unfathomable.
“These are highly skilled people that the public service is struggling to attract and retain,” she said.
“The notion that you should just sack them because a program doesn’t go ahead is just silly.”
First posted