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La Trobe Valley Jobs Must Be Protected

Press Releases May 28 2009

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The government owes it to the Latrobe Valley to delay a vote on its carbon trading scheme until after global talks in December, Family First Senator for Victoria Steve Fielding said in Morwell today.

Crossbench Senator Steve Fielding has announced he would seek to delay a vote on the legislation until after the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen.

Senator Fielding said the carbon trading scheme could devastate the Latrobe Valley if it was rushed through Parliament next month without global support from the world’s major emitters.

“I have huge concerns about the risk this government is taking with Australian jobs by demanding we lead the world on our climate change scheme without the rest of the world committing to anything,” Senator Fielding said.

“It doesn’t make sense to lock Australia into a scheme that could see thousands of jobs lost, devastate industries and raise energy bills in the midst of a recession all for the sake of the Prime Minister looking good at Copenhagen.

“Australia going out alone will do nothing for global emissions.

“The Rudd Government has yet to convince me that we should be pushing through an emissions trading system before Copenhagen.

“The responsible thing for the government to do is take our emissions trading scheme to Copenhagen in December and urge major emitters such as China, the United States and Russia, to commit to cutting down their carbon emissions with us.”