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Fielding launches attack on Joyce over ETS negotiations

News Clippings AAP, October 19 2009

Family First senator Steve Fielding has likened Barnaby Joyce to an attack dog without teeth after the Nationals Senate leader backed a coalition decision to begin negotiations with Labor over emissions trading.

Senator Joyce has said he would not support an emissions trading scheme under any circumstances.

But he’s hoping that Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull can convince the government to agree to a raft of amendments approved by a marathon joint parties room meeting on Sunday.

“Barnaby is like an attack dog without teeth,” Senator Fielding said in a statement.

“He makes plenty of noise, but when the time comes to act he’s like a poodle.”

Senator Fielding, who helped vote down Labor legislation setting up the carbon pollution reduction scheme in August, accused The Nationals of selling out the Australian public.

The Australian Greens, who sided with other crossbenchers and the coalition in the Senate to defeat the government, say the opposition amendments make a failed scheme even worse.

The Greens have proposed a set of 22 amendments of their own.