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FIELDING DELIVERS LIFELINE TO FRACTURED LIBS

Press Releases November 30 2009

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Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding says he won’t support the Coalition’s move to delay the carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS) unless the Senate meets three key demands.

Senator Fielding wants:

1) A Royal Commission co-chaired by Professor Ross Garnaut and Professor Ian Plimer to investigate the science behind climate change and the effectiveness of emissions reduction schemes in reducing climate change

2) The Productivity Commission to examine the economic impact on Australia from introducing a CPRS before the rest of the world

3) Alternatives to an emissions trading schemes (ETS) which might be better suited to Australia

“The Government’s amendments have radically altered the original CPRS and it’s important we have a proper look at what’s now being proposed,” Senator Fielding said.

“We owe it to the people who we represent to do everything possible to get this issue right and that includes looking at the detail which the government would rather us overlook.

“Australian families and businesses will face enormous costs by going it alone and it’s important we have the full picture before voting on this scheme.

“I expect the Productivity Commission to come to the one and only possible conclusion – that the ETS is a multi-billion dollar tax that will cost Australia thousands of jobs.

“I cannot understand why the Rudd Government is hell bent on destroying this country’s economy just so it can big note itself on the world stage.

“We need to do what is in the best interests of the Australian people, not what is in the best interests of Kevin Rudd’s political career.”

Senator Fielding says a Royal Commission will help bring the debate into the public arena so everyone can make up their own mind about whether a CPRS is really necessary.

“A Royal Commission will help people understand what’s going on because there’s currently a lot of conflicting information on climate change in the public domain,” Senator Fielding said.

“This is a decision which the public need to understand because at the end of the day if we have a CPRS it will be ordinary Australian families who will end up paying for it.”