The chances of the Government passing its carbon emissions trading scheme have been dealt another blow after Family First senator Steve Fielding said he remained unconvinced of the link between carbon emissions and global warming or of the need for Australia to lead in implementing a scheme.
Speaking overnight in Washington where he is on a fact-finding mission, Senator Fielding said he was inclined to back the amendment being put forward by Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, which aims to delay Australia's emissions trading scheme until after the UN meetings in Copenhagen in December.
Asked whether he would support Mr Turnbull's amendment, Senator Fielding said "we shouldn't rush into this before Copenhagen". "It makes sense to wait. Obviously America has put forward its proposals but that could drastically change through the Senate process here and we need to take that into consideration," he said. He said it would be "crazy" for each country to go it alone.
"The Rudd Government haven't convinced me that we can't wait until after we see what the rest of the world does ... If it's just so we can take some big leadership position to Copenhagen, I don't buy that. There has to be some other reason," he said. Senator Fielding, whose vote is likely to be crucial in getting the scheme through the Senate said he was on a self-funded trip to Washington to hear both sides of the argument. He has attended a conference of climate change sceptics and had briefings with White House advisers and with the Energy and Commerce committee, headed by Representative Henry Waxman, who is crafting the US emissions trading scheme.
EDIT
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/global-warming/climate-change-sceptics-impressive-fielding-20090604-bw9v.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
