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Rudd risks economy to big note himself

Press Releases July 31 2009

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Even the United Nations head of climate change, Yvo de Boer, says it doesn’t matter if Australia doesn’t have its emissions trading scheme finalised by December, Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding said today.

“I cannot believe the Prime Minister wants to put at risk thousands of jobs and our economy just so he can stand on his soap box at Copenhagen and say ‘look at me, look what I’ve done’,” Senator Fielding said.

“Kevin Rudd really needs to come back down to earth and do what’s right for Australia and not just operate in his own interests.

Mr de Boer told ABC radio this morning it didn’t matter if Australia went into the Copenhagen Climate Conference without an emissions trading scheme.

He went on to say that any reduction in carbon emissions would be useless without the US, China, India and Brazil on board.

“The Prime Minister is so pig headed he is intent on hanging Australia out to dry by making the senate vote unnecessarily on a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme next month,” Senator Fielding said.

“Its important to remember that every four months, from now until 2020, China will build a new coal fired power station possessing the same capacity as Australia’s entire coal fired power sector.

“There is no doubt in my mind it’s economic suicide to act before Copenhagen. No wonder we haven’t heard from the treasurer on the merits of an ETS because he knows full well it’s a foolish move.”